


Thunderbirds Meet Thunderbirds - Alan trip in to the movie verse.

by ak47stylegirl



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Family Feels, Gen, Multiverse, movie verse crossover with 2015 thunderbirds are go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2019-06-25 20:17:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 22,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15648192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ak47stylegirl/pseuds/ak47stylegirl
Summary: Crazy stuff always happens to Tracys, don't they?Add felling into a different world to the list.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic and @gentlebluelizard from Tumblr was my beta reader for this chapter. I originally posted this on Tumblr.

When Jeff got the phone call that his son was in the hospital, this was not what he was expecting when he got to the hospital.

“So let me get this straight, this boy that looks nothing like my son, has the same DNA as him?” He asked slowly.

The person he was talking to, a young man that was clearly intimidated by Jeff replied. “Yes Mr Tracy, the DNA matches that of Alan Tracy”

Jeff sighed “Well can I call in one of my men to look at the DNA?”

“I’ll have to ask my supervisors, sir,” the young man left the room in a hurry.

Jeff looked over at Scott who was looking at the kid that supposedly has his son’s DNA.

“What do you think Scott?” He asked as he walked over to him.

“It’s weird” he replied in a confused tone of voice.

“What do you mean, Scott?” Jeff questioned.

“Well you get a call saying that Alan is in the hospital, but it’s really some kid that has Alan DNA, I say that’s pretty weird!” He said, his voice rising in volume and speed. Jeff was surprised by how this was getting to Scott.

“Scott, calm down. I know this is weird but they’re no need to get worked up about this.”

“Sorry, Dad. I, this just so messed up” Scott apologies.

“It’s okay son, and yes this is a strange situation.”

“Do you really think this kid actually has Alan’s DNA?” Asked Scott looking at the kid on the bed asleep.

“I can’t say for sure, Scott. That why I’m going to call Brains down here to have a look,” he admits.

“What if this kid really does have Alan’s DNA? What do we do then?” Scott asked with a conflicted look on his face.

“Well, we deal with that when we come to it,” Jeff replied, trying to reassure Scott. “It’ll be OK-“

“Mr Tracy?”  There was an older man standing at the door. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and brown hair greying at the edges. “Name’s Captain Tim Howard,” he said as he shook hands with Jeff.

“Nice to meet you, Captain, this is my son Scott,” Jeff said as gestured to Scott.

“Good to meet you, Captain,” Scott says.

“Ah Scott Tracy, you were in the air force, Captain of the 16th Squadron,” the Captain replied.

“Yes, I was sir.”

“I guessing you want to know what I need to talk to you about Mr Tracy,” looking at Jeff.

“Yes I was wondering,” he chuckles, “I’m guessing it’s something to do with this boy,” gesturing to the boy on the bed.

“Yes, it does. I’m sure you already heard about how he has your son’s DNA”

Scott replied before his father “Yes we have sir.“

“That’s good,” he turned to Jeff.  “I heard you want to call in someone to look at the DNA report?”

“Yes, I got a friend who a scientist, would It be okay he had a look?  Just to make sure there’s no mistake.”

“I can assure you, Mr Tracy, there is none. But you can call this scientist to have a look if you want.”

“Thank you Captain” Jeff replied.

“Mr Tracy, I hate to ask but can I talk to you in private?”

“That’s fine by me,” Jeff said.  As Jeff was leaving he asked Scott, “Can you ring the island for me, Scott?”

"Sure thing Dad”.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfic and @gentlebluelizard from Tumblr was my beta reader for this chapter. I originally posted this on Tumblr.

Scott was sitting next to the bed looking at the kid who supposedly had his little brother’s DNA.

_If he had Alan’s DNA what would that mean?_  Thought Scott.

_There can’t be two Alans at once, can there?_

“What are we going to do with you, kid,” he mumbles.

_Well, I need to call the island, oh gosh they are going to think you’ve gone mad Scotty,_ Scott thought.

Getting his flip phone out, he dialled.

“Hey Virgil!”

_“Scott, what’s going on? Is Alan okay!?”_

“Yes, everything’s okay”

_“How is everything okay when Alan is in the hospital?”_

“It isn’t Alan… technically.”

_“What do mean by… technically, Scott? Is it Alan or not?”_

Scott sighed,  _here goes nothing_ , he thought.

“There’s this kid here who’s unconscious, turned out of nowhere, who supposedly shares Alan’s DNA,” he said in a rush.

There was silence on the other side.

“Virgil, are you there?”

_“Are you kidding me,Scott what the heck?!”_

“ No, I’m not kidding!,I’m being serious and that’s why I’m calling. Dad asked me to call and tell one of you on the island to bring Brains down here so he can make sure there’s no mistake.”

_“Ok, I’ll bring Brains down in Tracy 2. Scott, I, I mean, sorry”_

“It’s okay Virgil, I would’ve said that exact same thing,” Scott sighs.

_“Okay bye, I’ll see you in a bit.”_

“Bye Virgil, I’ll see you when you get here.”

Jeff came back in the room, a troubled look on his face.

“Dad? Are you okay?” Scott said as he got up to walk over to his father.

“I’m fine son, it’s just something the Captain told me that’s a bit concerning.”

“What’s concerning?”  _What can be more concerning than a kid that shares DNA with my brother,_  Scott thought.

“It’s what they found him wearing that’s got me concerned,” Jeff said.

“What so concerning about his clothes?”

“It was what’s on the uniform that has me worried.”

“What was on this uniform?”

“It had the Thunderbirds symbol on it. Not to mention he had some kind of technology that shouldn’t exist yet.”

“What! How is that possible?”

“I don’t know Scott,” Jeff said.

“Did you call the island?” Jeff asked.

“Yes, Virgil’s bringing Brains.”

“Okay, when they get here, we can finally figure out this mess.”

————A couple of hours later.———

“Mr-rr Tracy-y, it is Alan’s DNA there is no d-d-doubt.“ Brains said.

“But how is that possible?” Virgil uttered.

Scott was thinking the same thing.

“Mr-r Tracy y-ou’d s-s-said they found h-him w-wearing a uniform w-with the T-thunderbirds symbol on it.” Brains asked with a thoughtful look on his face.

“Yes I did.”

“And t-that he had t-technology that s-s-should exist y-yet.”

“Brains, what are you trying to say?” Scott questioned.

Jeff looked like he just realised what Brains was suggesting.

“It doesn’t exist here yet but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist somewhere else.” Jeff thought out loud.

“Uh? Can someone explain what you’re talking about?” Scott asked.

“Have you h-heard of the d-dem-m-m multiple world’s theory S-Scott?”

“Uhh, I think so?” He guessed.

“It’s a Theory that there are different worlds, very much like ours but with slight differences,” Jeff explained.

“Okay, but what does that have to do with this?” Virgil asked.

“I think the reason this boy has Alan’s DNA is because he IS Alan!” Jeff said.

“Dad, that’s not Alan!” Scott told his Dad.

“Yes Scott, he isn’t our Alan but he is still an Alan, do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Are you saying he is from a different universe?”

“I think I am.”

There was silence as that sunk in.

_On that bed was not Scott’s little brother but another version of Scott’s little brother. It sort of made sense in a strange way._

The silence was broken a moment later by groans from the boy in the bed.

“He waking up!” Scott said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfic and @gentlebluelizard from Tumblr was my beta reader for this chapter. I originally posted this on Tumblr.

**Alan POV.**

  _Ow, my head when did TB2 sit on me?_

  _What happened?  We were doing a rescue, Fischler wanna be, Scott yelling ‘ALAN GET AWAY FROM THERE!’ falling, falling thorough wormhole thingy._

_Wormhole thingy!_  His eyes shaped open in alarm.

He was in a hospital bed and there were strangers around it. And his brothers nowhere in sight.

To say he was a bit fracked out would be an understatement.

_Did he actually fall through that thing!!, please let that be a dream_ , Alan thought.

“uh hi,” he asked because just because of they strangers and he fracking out these no need to be rude.

 An older man walks up to the bed, he wearing a polo shirt. “hello, we have been waiting for you to wake up” the man chuckles. “Can I ask your name kid?” he asked smiling.

“Uh its uh Alan sir, Alan Tracy,” he said unsure of the situation. The strangers shared a look like he said something that they expected to hear.

 “Um, where I’m I ?”  He asked “wait where are my brothers! Are they okay! We were doing a recuse, where are they?” he rambles.He tried to get up “AAHhr” he cried in pain. _I must have bruised my ribs_ _,_  he thought as he grasped them. Alan wouldn’t admit it but he’s a bit scared.

A younger man, with hair sort of like Virgil’s but a different colour came forward up to the bed “don’t panic everything okay,” he said in a soothing tone of voice. “Just take a deep breath” Alan took a deep breath.“That’s better just keep doing that” Alan nodded. _There’s something comforting about this stranger’s voice and tone that seemed so familiar to him_ , Alan thought. _He did feel a bit calmer now._

The other guys have come over in concern also.

“What’s going on?” He asked in a small voice.

“We were hoping that you can help us figure that out” the older man from before asked gently.

“Um, how can I help?” Alan asked with a nervous smile.

The man smiled back “can you tell us what you remember before you woke up here?”

“Well, we were on a recuse, at a lab that was doing, well in our engineer words dangerous experiments.” He said as he did quotes marks.

“d-d-dangerous e-experiments?” asked an older guy with blue glasses.

“Yeah that was the reason we were there, one of the experiment went haywire”

“What was this experiment?” the other guy that hasn’t talked yet, he was a young man with an air of authority.

“It was wormhole generator and it was out of control and pulling everything in”

“Wormhole?” asked the guy with hair sort of like Virgil’s.

“Yeah, they were trying to create a new form of travel”

“So what happened when you got there?”

“Well, we figured we needed to turn it off, so I tried to turn it off, but that when its decide to pick up strength. I think something hit me knocking me in, that all I can remember”

“Well, that’s cleared up how you got here” the older man smiled.

“s-sir I’m g-going to g-go g-get a n-n-nurse.” the guy with glasses whispered to the older man. 

Alan could just make out what he was saying.

the older man turned to face the other guy.

“good idea, brains” the older man whispered back. Alan couldn’t hear the last word. 

the guy with the glasses lefted to get a nurse.

alan still haven’t had his questions answered.

_are they going to tell me where am I?_  he thought. 

_or where my brothers are?_

**Jeff POV**

“Um, sir, uh where am I?” Alan asked, drawing his attention back to the kid.

“Well that’s a bit hard to explain” 

“Why?” he asks as he turned his head like a puppy.

“Well we think that wormhole you fell though brought you to a different universe, this universe”

Alan’s eyes widen “w-what” 

“We think this because you have DNA that matches someone here,” he said gently.

“This worlds Alan Tracy?”

“Yes”

_The kid looks so overwhelmed,_  thought Jeff. 

He tried to reassure him by smiling.

“Are you okay?” Virgil asked Alan.

“Uh what, oh yes I’m okay, just trying to get my head around this” he gave a nerves laugh. He froze suddenly.

“Wait you can get me home right?” He begged.

The adults in the room shared a look.

“We just figured out that you were from a different universe a bit before you woke, so we haven’t thought of how we going to get you home yet” Jeff answered.

“You can right?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfic and @gentlebluelizard from Tumblr was my beta reader for this chapter. I originally posted this on Tumblr.

**Jeff POV**

We’ve got to get this Alan home, his version of me must be worried sick, thought Jeff.

“We’ll try our hardest.” Scott insisted, sharing the same thought as his father.

“Okay,” Alan said.

“Um, I never got your names?” Alan asked.

“Oh sorry, how rude of us,” Jeff smiled.

“I think you know your versions of us very well,” Scott said with a smile.

“Uh okay, you’re somebody I know, I don’t know a lot of people so, wait…” he stopped mid-sentence, wide-eyed.

_Wait, why doesn’t he know a lot of people? Doesn’t he have friends at school?_  Jeff thought.

“You’re this world’s version of my family aren’t you?” he guessed.

“Yes, that we are. I’m guessing because you look so different to our Alan, that you don’t know which one of us is who, right?” asked Scott.

“Yeah, you do look different to my versions of you guys.”

“Well, I’m Scott,” he said with a smile.

“Virgil,” Virgil introduced himself.

“The man that’s fetching the nurse is Brains,” Jeff said.

“Brains!  Ha!  He’s a lot older than my Brains,” Alan said with a thoughtful look on his face. The look was suddenly wiped away as he came to a realisation.  He looked at Jeff strangely as his face drained to white.

_Why is he looking at me like that?_  Thought Jeff.

“I’m this version of your Dad,” Jeff said worriedly.

Alan looked beyond overwhelmed.

Scott and Virgil looked worried too.

“Are you okay?” Scott asked as he came forward.

“What?  Uh sorry, it’s just that, in my world, my Dad has been missing for a long time,” he said very quietly with his head bowed.

_What! Missing!_ Jeff thought.

Scott and Virgil gasped.

_This is the first time he has seen his Dad and I’m not even from his world,_  Jeff thought sadly.

“Alan, look at me,” he said sternly but gently.

Alan hesitantly lifted his eyes to Jeff.

Jeff could see it now, _this Alan’s eyes were of a child that been through so much._

“You may not be this world’s version of my son, but you are still my son no matter what world you came from and I’m going to speak for your version of me when I tell you, he never wanted to leave you,” Jeff said trying to comfort him.

Alan smiled teary eyed.

“And until you’re home, we’ll be your family because, in a way, we are,” Virgil said.

“Yeah, you’re safe with us” Scott agreed with Virgil.

“Thank you,” Alan said

Brains just came back with the nurse.

Scott moved to give room for the nurse to check Alan.

“Hi dear, what’s your name? My name’s Sally.”

“Oh, my name’s Alan! You’ve got the same name as my Grandma!” Alan said excitement.

jeff had to chuckle at that.

“Well Alan, that’s pretty cool, now I’m going to give you a check-up. Okay?”

“Okay.”

When the nurse was finished, she announced. “Well, I think you can be discharged later this afternoon, just be careful of your bruises,” she said as she left.

“We can take you to the island,” Virgil said. “Right Dad?”

“Well, we have to ask the Captain first Virgil, but yes, I think we can.”

“Captain?” Alan asked.

“Yeah, because you just turned up out of nowhere, the authorities got involved,” Scott explained.

“Oh okay.”

“Well, I’m going to find the Captain, Virgil can you please take Brains back to the island and prepare for Alan’s stay,” Jeff said as he got up.

“Sure thing, Dad,” Virgil said.

“Scott you stay here.”

“Okay, Dad.”

**Scott’s POV**

After they had left, Scott and Alan were alone in the room.

There was an awkward silence.

“Soo, what’s your version of me like?” Scott asked.

“My Scott?  Well, he awesome, but he can be a bit protective at times. He took up the leadership of International Rescue after Dad disappeared. Yeah, he’s really busy too because, well in John’s words, he doesn’t know how to delegate. But yeah, he tries his hardest.” Alan rambled on.

_Okay, the hero worship is strong in this one_ , Scott thought amused. 

_But more seriously this version of me must be under a lot of stress, I know I would be if I was in his shoes._ Scott thought.

“Well, in our line of work, I think me and him got a pretty good reason,” Scott said, to the amusement of the kid.

_This Alan really has a way of making people like him._  Scott though.

“Well I guess, and in truth he, not the only one that’s protective,” he said with a sheepish smile.

“Well us Tracy’s are a protective bunch” he joked laughing.

Alan soon joined him.

A couple of minutes later Jeff came back.

“Well boys, we can leave when you really.” dad said as he walked over to them.

“Alan, I think this is yours,” dad said as to he handed Alan  _a bundle of blue with some red clothes?_

“My uniform!” Alan said.

_Oh, that what it is,_ Scott though in realisation.

Alan got out of the bed.

_Wow he short,_  Scott though

“Really?” Dad asked.

“Uh yeah but I don’t have any shoes”

_Oh yeah, he didn’t have shoes only socks._

“Well we’ll ask one of the nurses if they have anything,” Jeff said.

Jeff put his arm around Alan, leading Alan out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Scott POV**

In the end, Alan was wearing a pair of bunny slippers that a nurse had.

They were now, in a car with Jeff driving.

“So where you parked thunderbird one?” Alan asked as he looked out the window.

“ Thunderbird one?, Why would we need Thunderbird One?” He asked from the passenger seat.

“To get to the island?” Alan answered turning his attention to Scott in the front.

“how did you get here without a Thunderbird?“ Alan asked with genuine confusion.

“With Tracy 1 of course,” Scott turned around to look at Alan in the back “we can’t take a Thunderbird whenever we like, you should know that,” Scott told Alan, a bit annoyed.

“Why?” Alan was seriously confused now.

“Because secretary is vital for the Thunderbirds to operate, if anybody knew who we are, it could cost people they life’s,” Jeff said sternly.

“ wait, what?“

_Ok, this getting annoying, he should know this,_ Scott thought.

"The identity of the Thunderbirds, we can’t go around saying-”  Scott stops mid-sentence because of the look of surprise on Alan’s face.

“wait, this the first time you heard this, isn’t it ?” Scott said with wide eyes, all of Scott’s annoyance disappeared replaced with shock realisation.

Jeff glances at Alan in the rear-view mirror.

“Uh yeah, everybody in my world knows who runs international recure”

_everybody…knows… okay,_ Scott thought.

"Why isn’t it a secret in your world?” Scott asked.

“Um it’s 2060, nothing stays secret for long. Like every-“ Scott cuts him off.

“2060!”

“What do you mean by 2060, Alan” Jeff asked as he came to a stop at a red light.

Alan looked like he wasn’t expecting the outburst about the year, so it took him a moment to answer.

“Uh, the year 2060, I don’t understand, what you mean?” Alan asked unsurely.

“it’s 2010 here…your world must be ahead in time,” Jeff said.

“Okay, so I’m in a different world and time, okay,“ Alan thought out loud.

_That’s putting it lightly,_  Scott thought. 

_what was he saying before I cut him off?_

“Yeah what were you saying before I cut you off?” Scott asked.

"Oh, yeah, well it’s a bit impossible to keep a secret that big in 2060 because everybody has a camera on them and really it’s not that much of a big deal” Alan shrugged.

_well maybe for him it’s not, but to us, it is,_  Scott thought.

“ what do you mean, everybody has a camera on them isn’t that a bit unpractical to carry around?“ Jeff asked.

“Uh no? every phone has a camera”

“Like this?” He showed him his flip phone.

"That’s a phone!?” Alan said in surprise looking close at Scott’s phone.

“ Yeah, where I’m from that is, well no offence but it would garbage,” Alan said sheepishly.

“None taken, so what are phones like in your world?” Scott asked.

Alan ended up explaining how phones in his world are different, and how that affects his world to Scott for the rest of the drive.

“I think I understand what you mean, by impossible to keep a secret,” Scott said having a bit better understanding of Alan’s world.

“We here,” Jeff said as he came to a stop at the airport.

**Virgil Pov**

“ so let me get this straight, a different version of alan is going to stay with us until brains can find a way to get him home?“ Gordon asked, look at Virgil like he heard wrong.

“pretty much”

“Okay, I…really don’t know what to say to that” Gordon said as he leaned and against the guest’s room’s door.

“well you could help me,“ Virgil said sarcastically as he moved boxes,"This room needs to be liveable, by the time they get here"  

“Okay, okay don’t need to get all grizzly” Gordon smirked as he started to help.

“why is the guest’s room filled with boxes?” Gordon asked.

“we were using it as a storeroom because frankly, we don’t usually have guests” Virgil answered as he made the bed.

“Okay, um where do we put these boxes?“ Gordon asked.

“well we can put them in Alan’s room for now”

“Better have somewhere better before Alan comes back from school or he throw a fit” Gordon warned.

“I know” Virgil sighs “we find somewhere else, but for now that where we a putting them”

“your funeral" Gordon joked as he left the room.

* * *

A couple of hours later (7.00pm)

“So Virgil, what this Alan like?” Gordon asked. Virgil and Gordon were sitting at the kitchen bench.

“Well I haven’t been able to really to get to know him, but I do know he’s a scared kid in a whole different world than his own” Virgil answered.

“Well I don’t blame him, I would be scared too,” Gordon said.

“Oh, yeah all mosts forgot,” Virgil said to himself “try not to ask him about his Dad, okay,” Virgil said.

“why? what wrong with asking him about Dad?"Gordon asked.

"I’m sure Dad will call a family meeting, so you can find out from him,” Virgil said, not wanting to explain it to Gordon.

Gordon still looked like he wanted to know then and there, but he soon realises Virgil not going to tell him.

“okay fine,” Gordon said giving in.

There was a moment of silence.

“Did you find some of our old clothes that he can wear?” Virgil said breaking the silence.

“Yeah, I put them in the guest room”

“Ok good”

“When do you think they be here?“ Gordon asked.

“I don’t know Gordon, they should be on their way now,” Virgil said.

“Can you radio them to find out how much longer to go?”

_Normally he would say do it yourself, but he was slightly curious himself._

“Fine” Virgil shrugged.

**Alan pov**

He was sitting in the back of the jet.

Jeff was in the pilot seat and Scott was in the copilot seat.

There was an incoming call on the jet’s radio.

“Tracy 1 here,” Jeff said.

“Hi Dad, Gordon wanted me to ask you what your ETA is?” Virgil said.  

“ETA 2 hours, Virgil,” Scott answered for Jeff.

“Okay thanks, Scott”

“Virgil is the guest room ready?” Jeff asked.

“Yes it is, Dad” Virgil answered.

“Okay good see you in 2 hours"

“Bye guys, Tracy island out”

* * *

2 hours later. (9.00pm)

Even though he was unconscious for a good couple of hours, Alan could barely keep his eyes open.

“Tracy island, this is Tracy 1 we on approach now ”Jeff’s voice jolted, alan awake.

Alan tried to look out the window but could barely see anything outside because it was so dark.

**Gordon pov**

Gordon was was in the pool, when he heard Tracy 1 coming in for approach.

_Better get out of the pool before Dad finds out I was swimming, this late at night,_ Gordon thought.

After getting dry he went down to the runway where Tracy 1 was.

_Virgil was also here to greet them back, or in Alan’s case, welcome him to the island for the first time,_  Gordon thought.

_There’re Scott and Dad,_  Gordon thought as he came up to them.

_That must be Alan_ , Gordon thought as he spotted him.

_Wow, he’s small should have chosen some of our smaller clothes_ , Gordon thought.

_Alan looked like he could fall asleep on his feet._

“welcome back guys,“ Virgil greeted them as he walked over.

“Hey, Virgil, Gordon” Scott said.

“hi,“ Alan yawned.

"Alan this is our Gordon,” Jeff said.

That seemed woke him up a bit.

Alan looked at Gordon’s wide-eyed.

Gordon was getting a bit weirded out by it.

“uh hi,“ Gordon said.

_That seemed to snap him out of whatever that was,_  Gordon thought.

“Oh, hi, sorry it just” He gave a nervous laugh. “my Gordon has blonde hair and it’s just a bit weird seeing a Gordon with brown hair,” he rubbed his neck.

_Blonde? Okay,_  Gordon thought.

“Hey, its fine,“ he said.

“a blonde Gordon” Virgil had a look on his face as if it was hard to imagine. “so in your world there three blondes?” Virgil asked.

“three blondes?“ Alan tilts his head to the side. "Gordon and I are the only ones with-” he yawned"blonde hair"

_Wait if his version of me and him are the only ones with blonde hair, what colour hair does John have?_  Gordon thought excitedly.

Before he could ask, Dad decided it was time for him to enter the conversation.

“well it late boys, Virgil can you show Alan to his room,“ Dad told them.

_I ask tomorrow, ohh if I can find out I can dye Johnny’s boy’s hair! That be the best prank ever!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Virgil POV**

Virgil was watching Alan as he led Alan to the guest room.

_This alan is a lot shorter than our alan,_  Virgil thought.

_Are they even the same age?_

_Because this Alan doesn’t seem to look sixteen._

Before Virgil knew it, they were at the guest room door.

Virgil opened the door.

“this is your room,” he said.

Alan walked into the room and Virgil followed.

“cool,” Alan said as he looked around.

“What this?” Alan asked looking at a heap of clothes on the desk and then at Virgil.

“Oh, yeah Gordon found some spare clothes that you can wear,” Virgil told him.

“Oh, okay,” Alan yawned.

Alan put down his uniform, that he was holding next to the pile of clothes.

_Is that a chest plate?_  Virgil thought.

He was going to ask but decided against it, because the kid seemed to be half asleep.

“well okay, if you need anything, my room is two rooms down,” Virgil offered.

“Okay” Alan replied with a tired smile.

Virgil felt a bit awkward. _if this was his alan, he wouldn’t feel so awkward because he knows him and his triggers. but with this kid, he feels like he walking on egg shells._

“Well, I’ll leave you then, good night,” he said as he turns to leave.

“Night,” Alan said.

As he was walking to his room, Tintin mother, Omaha came up to him.

“Virgil, your father wants us in his office,” Omaha said.

_Sooner than I thought,_  Virgil thought.

_It could have waited for the morning though._

“Okay thanks, Omaha”

They were all in Dad’s office.

John is, also thereby video call.

“Hi, guys why you call?” John asked puzzled.

“family meeting, John” Dad answered.

“family meeting? what for?” John asked with a raised eyebrow.

_Wait shouldn’t we call our Alan too,_  Virgil thought.

Before Jeff answer John’s question, Virgil asked him “Dad shouldn’t we call our Alan too?”

John gave him a puzzled look at that.

_That must of sounded weird to someone that doesn’t know the situation_ , Virgil thought.

“He got school, we can tell him later” Dad explained.

_Well, we’ll have to tell him before this weekend,_  Virgil thought.

_Summer brack starts this weekend._

“Not to be rude but what are you talking about?” John asked seriously confused.

"Well John, let’s start from the beginning, this morning I got a phone call saying……” Dad started to explain.

After Dad was done explaining to John the situation.

“Well okay,” John said, his voice a bit shaken.

“wait why didn’t nobody tell me this, before now,” he said looking at his brothers.

_Oops_ , Virgil thought blushing.

“Sorry John,” they said together.

They looked at each other in surprise, then Gordon yelled “Jinx!”

Scott and Virgil laughed at Gordon’s silly-ness.

Dad started talking again.

“That’s why I called this meeting, I want to make sure we all on the same page,” Dad said to John and at the same time to everybody else.

may as well ask now, Virgil thought.

“Dad, are we even sure that this Alan is the same age as ours?” Virgil asked.

“why you ask that, Virgil?” Dad asked.

“he seems younger,” He said.

“yeah, and he way smaller than the sprout!” Gordon added.

“smaller?"John asked.

"Yeah John, he’s like a head shorter than me,” Scott said.

Virgil pretty sure he heard Scott mutter ‘i miss those days’ in a wistful tone of voice.

Just then Dad cleared his throat, getting their attention.

“Virgil to answer your question, yes he could very well be younger but we won’t know for sure until we ask him”

“Okay,” he said.

Scott seemed to want to say something, Virgil noticed.

“now Scott and I found out on the way home that-"Scott interrupted Dad.

"dad before you tell them about that, I got something to add,” Scott asked.

“well okay Scott” dad said, it was obvious he didn’t like getting interrupted.

“well, Alan told me, that his version of me is the head of the Thunderbirds” Scott told them with a frown.

Why would Scott be- oh yeah, that’s why. Virgil thought bitterly.

**John pov.**

_Scott, head of Thunderbirds!_ ,  _Scott would only be the leader if something happens to Dad,_  John though.

_What no! nothing happened to this alan’s dad! don’t be silly John!_ , John thought horrified at himself.

“Wait why would his Scott be the head of the Thunderbirds?” Gordon let his voice be heard “dad’s the leader!” Gordon frowned.

Before anyone could answer Gordon spoke up again “ and why did Virgil say not to mention his dad around him?!” Gordon demanded as he stood up from where he was sitting.

“Gordon, if you let me explain, you find out,” Dad told Gordon off.

“Sorry, dad” Gordon sat down sheepishly.

“the reason that’s his Scott is head of the Thunderbirds, as me and your brothers” Dad gesture to Scott and Virgil. ” Found out, it is because his version of me is missing” anybody who hasn’t known gasped.

_what! no, he can’t be,_  John thought in disbelief.

"what! no! how is that possible! that’s not possible!” Gordon said with wide eyes.

_It was at moments like this that John is reminded that Gordon is only 21._

“we don’t know the details, we just know his Dad has been missing for a while,” Scott said.

There was a moment of tense silence as that set in.

“as I was saying before, when me and Scott were coming home,“ Dad said.

 we were looking at Dad as he continued to talk.

"We also found out that in his world our identity’s are not secret”

_Not secret! like public?! how do the thunderbirds work with the whole world knowing?_  John thought puzzled by the mere concept of going public.

“What, why?!”Virgil said a little bit too loudly.

At the same time, John asked "how do the Thunderbirds work without secretly?” he said perplexed.

"Please, one at a time,” Dad said.

“now to answer your question John, I don’t know how it works in his world, but apparently it does work”  Dad turned to Virgil.  
“Virgil to answer your question, I think it is because his world is in a different time and with that comes a different culture”

_different time? different culture?_

Scott seemed to realize that they didn’t understand Dad.

“The year in his world is 2060”

_oh, its make sense now, different generations have different ways of doing stuff_   
_and with his world being in the future, of course, they may do stuff that seems crazy to us._

_like going public_ , he thought sarcastically.

Brains seemed to get excited.

“T-that’s why his t-tech was so ad-adv - far ahead!” Brains said.

_I got a feeling that brains going to ask this Alan so many questions._

_Dad must have had the same thought._

“It’s is fascinating, but we need to respect that he may not want to get asked a lot of questions,” Dad said to everybody in the room.

“I’m not saying you can’t ask him about his world but be respectful if he doesn’t want to answer, ” Dad said.

They nodded.

_Wait, my roster on five ends this week_ , John though.

_how is brains going to relieve me if he’s working on getting Alan home?_

“Dad, my roster ends this week, who’s going to relieve me with brains working on getting Alan home?” he inquired.

Dad looks like he hasn’t thought of that.

Dad was going to say something but brains beat him to it.

“Mr Tracy, i-i think I g-got an s-solution, we could have the c-calls t-transferred to the island.”

“that could work, we did do that after the hood’s attack,” Scott said.

_I did not need to be reminded of that, Scott,_  John thought with a shutter.

“well, that seems like a good idea, brains,” Dad said. “is that okay with you John?" 

_John would be okay with all most anything if it got him back to earth. He did miss his family and earth._

"that’s fine with me,” he said.

“Well, I think that’s all-” Dad was interrupted by Gordon.

“Yeah, Johnny did you know in Alan’s world I’m blonde!”

“a blonde Gordon?” he asked.

_that’s hard to imagine._

“yea, Gordon apparently blonde in Alan’s world,” Virgil said.

“and you not blonde” Gordon sang.

_oh great, I’m going to get pranked_ , John thought.

_note to self, check every hair product you have._

Dad cleared his throat again to get their attention.

“boys, it is late you can talk about this, with John when he back home"

“we need to do our best to make this alan feel at home while he here,” Dad said to all of them.

“you can count on us!” Gordon said with a salute.

the others nodded.

“Well, I think the meeting over, off to bed with you,” Dad said to me and my brothers.

“okay bye guys,” John said.

“bye John,” they said.

“Thunderbird 5 signing out”

_what is it with us Tracys, getting into these situations,_  John thought as he set Thunderbird five systems to sleep mode.


	7. Chapter 7

**Alan POV**

The light from the window was shining in on Alan. Alan gradually began to wake.

_That was a weird dream_ , Alan thought with his eyes still closed.

_I was stranded in another universe, and Gordon had brown hair._

_Maybe Scott is right, I shouldn’t play video games before bed… yeah no._

_why does my bed feel different?_

He opened his eyes. The room came in to focus.

_This isn’t my room!_ He thought as he shot up from the bed.

_It wasn’t a dream,_  Alan thought.  

_it-it was real!?_

_I’m lost in a strange world!_

He felt suddenly like he couldn’t breathe.

_This is worse than, then anything I been in before_.

_I’m on a different Tracy island with different versions of my brothers,_ he thought as his breathing got more out of control.

_Dad’s alive here_ , He flinches as remembered.

If he didn’t feel like crying before, he did now.

He looked up as he heard someone walking down the hall.

_Okay Alan calm down, they get you home,_  he tried to reassure himself.

He took a deep breath. _He didn’t want someone to see him having a panic attack. Though he wishes one of his brothers were here with him, not these unfamiliar and just plain different versions of them._

They stopped at his door.

**Scott POV**

He just came back from his morning run.

He heard something from the guest room as he was walking down the hall after having a shower.

_Sounds like a panic attack_ , Scott thought.

_Is he okay?_

Scott’s brotherly intense we’re going haywire.

Scott felt that he has a responsibility to look after this kid like he was anyone of his brothers.

he knocked.

“Whos there?” a meek voice said.

“Uh, its Scott,” he said a bit surprised because,  _with his Alan, Alan would have already told him to go away if he was upset._  “can I come in?”

“yeah”

He opened the door.

Alan was sitting on the edge of the bed.

“You okay kid?” He said sitting down next to Alan.

“Uh, Yeah,” Alan said as he rubbed his neck. “Just gave myself scare.”

_They really are different, if I found my Alan like this, he would have lashed out by now._  Scott thought

“scare?”

“I-woke-up-thinking-yesterday-was-a-dream,” Alan said very fast and subtly turn his body away from Scott.

_Oh,_  Scott thought in sympathy because he knows how that feels.  _To wake up thinking everything, okay but it not._  He thought back to the time his family lost their mother.

“we’ll get you home, kid” He comforts Alan as he put his hand on the kid’s shoulder.

Alan nodded.

Scott could feel that this conversation wasn’t going anywhere, even though this Alan is more open with him, Scott is still a stranger with his brother’s name.

“Well breakfast is soon” Scott stated as he got up. “be down soon?” Scott asked at the door.

“Oh, yeah I’ll be down soon,” Alan said.

**– TAG-Verse–**

Scott was sitting outside on the island looking out at sea. To say that he seemed troubled would be an understatement.

_Dad, I failed you,_  Scott thought.  _I lost Alan, he fell through some portal, I failed him too._

_Brains think he still alive wherever he fell to, and that’s in truth the only thing keeping me going._

_I had the responsibly to keep him safe, and I failed.i’m his commander, his guardian and his brother and I couldn’t keep him safe._

_I’m supposed to keep them safe._

“what kind of brother am i,” he mutters to himself.

“one that blames himself for stuff out of his control,” a voice said suddenly.  

“AHH” Scott yelped as he looks to where the voice came from.

Virgil was standing behind him.

_Are you trying to give me a heart attack Virgil?!,_  his face must have shown what he thought because Virgil gave a sheepish smile.

“sorry, thought you heard me,” Virgil said as he sat down next to Scott.

“its fine” he as his heartbeat calmed down.

“Scott” Virgil turns his head to look at Scott “there was nothing you could have done to stop Alan being sucked into that thing.”

Of course, Virgil would know what wrong, he knows me to well, Scott thought.

But you wrong Virg, I can think of heaps.

“if I didn’t tell him to-”

“Scott, he was the closest to it,” Virgil said making his voice firmer, trying to make Scott understand. “ you made the logical choice in the situation, we didn’t know what it was until he was already in there. ”

Scott understood what Virgil was saying but the memory of that moment haunts him.

**–(flashback)**  
“Scott I found the machine that is causing all this” John said on comms.  _All this being a lab falling apart because of something from the inside._

“where is it, John?” Scott asked as he got more people out. “and what is it?”

“it’s on the north side,” John said, “ and that’s the problem, I don’t know what it is exactly.”

“well I guess we just have to find out,” he said.

“Scott! John! I’m near the north side!” Alan said on comms.

_He didn’t like sending Alan alone to check out a machine that they know nothing about, but it was their best option because he was too far away._

“Okay Alan, but be careful,” he said.

“Scott, don’t worry it’s me,” Alan said confidently.

Scott started to make his way over to the north side after getting everyone out on his side. He left his comms with Alan on.

“Okay, I’m here, whoa.”

_Whats whoa?_  Scott thought. He was going to ask, but before he could, Alan started talking again.

“um scanning now.”

as Alan was doing that, he opened a comm with John.

“so what is it, John?”

“Well, it looks like-” John stops midsentence.

“John?”

“uh, it’s a wormhole generator.”

“uh okay?”

“The scan is showing that its drawing stuff in”

Scott stopped listening.

_‘drawing stuff in’, Alan!_ Scott thought.

“Alan be careful, that’s a thing is drawing stuff in,” Scott said as he started to walk faster.

“uh, yeah I can see that,” Alan said over comms,“ and what is this thing?”

“it a wormhole generator, now that I know this, I can find it in the lab’s files.” John said to both of them.“ here it is, uh it’s supposed to be a new form of travel?”

_not sure I want to travel in a wormhole_ , Scott thought.

“Okay, so how do I turn it off,” Alan asked.

“well, its connected to a power source so if you could disconnect it, that should turn it off.”

“FAB john,” Alan said. “making my way over to it now.”

_I have a bad feeling about this._  

“Alan! Scott!, it picked up power!” John was suddenly yelling on his comm.

_What! Alan!_

“ALAN GET OF THERE!” he yelled into his comms.

“ALAN!, answer me!”

_No one was answering._  A feeling of dread filled Scott.

“Scott I can’t find his signal,” John said, deadly pale.

He started to run to where Alan was.  _No no no_ , he thought on repeat.

Just before he made it to the north side of the lab, John yelled “Scott stop!”

“Stop! why?! Alan is in there!” he demanded.

“Scott, if you go in there without a plan, what happened to Alan will happen to you!” John begged. “and what help are you to Alan if you in the same situation as him!" 

_As much as I want to find Alan, John was right._

"Okay”

He took a minute to think up a plan, not wasting time. 

He hooked himself up to a cable. So he won’t get pulled in to the wormhole.

He entered the room that the machine was in.

_Alan where are you?_

He thought as he looked around frantically from his place at the door.           

But Alan was nowhere in sight, but the stupid machine that did something with his little brother, it was in plain sight.

_no no, he didn’t get sucked in did he!_  he thought in horror.

“Scott you need to turn it off,” John said snapping Scott out of his fright.

He nodded numbly.

He made his way around the edges of the room over to where it was connected, and he cut it off.

Now that the danger was no more, the reality started to set in.

“Alan” he croaked.

He collapses to his knees.

It felt like the world had stopped still for hours.

Someone was calling his name.

“Scott, Scott!”

**–(flashback ends)**

He was suddenly in the present with Virgil shaking his shoulder.

“Scott are you okay?” Virgil asked as he stopped shaking Scott as he realised that Scott was back. “you zoned out.”

“Oh, yeah sorry, about that Virg,” he said “so what were you saying?” he said  _trying to avoid answering Virgil question because he doesn’t like lying to his brothers._

_Virgil didn’t look happy that his question went unanswered._

“I was saying that we’ll get Alan back,” Virgil said, “we have done the impossible before,” Virgil said, Scott couldn’t tell if he was trying to reassure him or himself.

“yeah, we will,” he said determined.  _They are getting Alan home, no ifs or buts._

The unspoken 'we have to, this family can’t survive another lost’ put a heavy weight on their hearts.


	8. Chapter 8

**Alan pov**

_Do I go this way? Or that way??_  He thought as he stood in a hallway that splits into two different corridors.

_How hard is it to find the kitchen? This place is way bigger than home._

He was walking around, not paying attention to his surroundings.

He collided with someone, he lost his footing, and the floor was becoming closer than before. He cried, not just of surprised but because his bruised ribs did not like colliding with someone.

A pair of arms grabbed him. He looked up.

It was this world’s, Jeff Tracy. 

“You okay, son?” Jeff asked as Alan got his footing again.

He flinches.  _I haven’t been called that in a long time. It hurt too much to think about how this is his dad and at the same time, not._

“uh, yeah fine,” he said. 

“that’s good, why you down here? breakfast soon” Jeff asked.

“uh I may have… sort of,” he said trying to find his words. he rubbed his neck “ I got lost” he muttered, “I mean, I don’t know where the kitchen is..” he trailed off, his eyes looking anywhere but at Jeff.

**Jeff pov**

_why did he flinch when I said- oh yeah_  he thought as he remembered that  _this version of his boy was an orphan._

Alan was saying something about not knowing how to find the kitchen.

He chuckled “well that’s not a big problem,” he said. The kid raised an eyebrow at him.

“I’m going down there now, you can come with me” he explained as he started to walk.

“Oh, okay,” Alan said his eye widening a bit as he caught up with Jeff.

_He does seem young,_ Jeff thought. _Maybe Virgil is right; he may be younger than our Alan. Preteen to young teenager age. But why would he even be going out on missions? He would be too young._

_I would never let him go out at this age._  

By the time he finished thinking they had made it to the kitchen.

The rest of his boys except his Alan and John were in the kitchen talking.

“Hey, dad!  hey Alan,” Virgil said.

“hey” “hello,”   Gordon and Scott said.

“good morning boys,” he said.

“hi,” Alan said.

“you hungry?” Virgil asked Alan.

“uhh..” Alan stomick growled cutting him off.

_Well, that answers that question,_ Jeff, though. The kid was blushing. 

“well in my defence, I hadn’t had anything to eat since before the mission that brought me here.”

“well, good thing breakfast is soo-” Scott was cut off by a yell.

“breakfast ready!” Omaha called to them.

**Alan pov**

“breakfast ready!” a lady called to them.

_Who is she?_  He thought.  _She too young to be Grandma._

Anybody started to walk over to a table with food. 

“what you waiting for? come get some food before its all gone” Scott said to him.

“uh okay?” he said as he copied what they were doing.

_MMm, they got pancakes,_  he thought licking his lips.  _And they, not burnt!_  

“the pancakes look good don’t they,” Gordon said to Alan as he was grabbing a couple.

“uh, yeah. but anything looks good to me if it not brunt to a crisp” Alan said as he pilled his plate with food.

“brunt?” Virgil asked him. The others were looking at him with confused looks.

“uh, let’s say if my grandma is trying to cooks something. I rather be dealing with a meteor heading straight for me than that,” he said as he sat down.

“meteor!”  "what!“ "you know what a meteor is right?” “how can you not love grandmas cooking!” they said as one.

**Virgil pov**

_What!? Meteor!_  He thought.  _This kid does NOT have his priorities straight._  

They all said something at the same time, which made it in impossible to understand what they were saying.

Alan seemed startled by the outburst.   _Oh come on, he looks like a kicked puppy,_  Virgil thoughts. _Now I feel guilty for being so loud._

Dad starts to ask after a couple of false starts.

”you are joking about the meteor thing right?” dad asked.

”uhh, partly,” Alan said  "like I wouldn’t like a meteor heading towards me, nobody would,” Alan said.

”well that’s true ” Gordon laughed.

They laughed at that.

But the question of why Alan was acting like the possibility of seeing a meteor is very likely, was bugging Virgil.

”so what this about Grandma cooking?”Scott asked.  ”grandma the best cook I know!” Scott said.

_Ohh, don’t let Omaha hear you say that_  Virgil thought with a smile.

Alan was blinking at Scott like he couldn’t process what Scott was saying.

” yeah our grandma’s must be different because well my grandma can’t cook,” Alan said. ”like don’t eat anything she gives you!” Alan warned with wide eyes and hand gestures.

I _t can’t be that bad, he probably exaggerating,_  Virgil thought.

”well okay then,” dad said as he finished his food. ”I’m going down to brains lab, once you finish eating can you boys meet me down there?” Dad said.


	9. Chapter 9

**Gordon pov**

_I can ask about John’s hair now,_  Gordon thought as they were walking down to the silos where brains lab is.  _Couldn’t ask with Dad around, he would know what I am up to instantly._

”so I wanted to ask,” he said as he draped his arm over Alan’s shoulder. Alan tense up at the unexpected touch.

”and that is?” Alan asked cautiously. Scott was giving Gordon a suspicious look.  _Maybe asking with Scott around not the best idea but got to go with it now._

”you said you and me were the ones with the blond hair right? so what John’s hair colour?” he asked.

Alan seemed puzzled ”uh red?”

_I was not expecting that._  His arm slipped off of Alan’s shoulder.  _it is hard to visualise John as a redhead._

“he a redhead, like ginger?” Scott asked.

“uh, yeah his hair would make a Weasley jealous,” Alan joked with a smirk.  Alan frowned “that old movie exist here right?” Alan adds as an afterthought.

“yeah we got Harry Potter, ” Virgil said in amusement.

Scott gave a chuckle.

_Okay need to buy really red hair dye,_  Gordon thought.

”so John blond here?” Alan asked.

They nodded. 

“yeah, he is,” Scott said.

” that’s hard to imagine, ” Alan said.

_You can say that again. Well, it won’t be hard to imagine once I get the hair dye,_ Gordon thought trying not to smirk.

“Why did you want to know?” Alan asked.

“Yeah, Gordon why?” Scott said as he looked at Gordon with a sceptical look. Alarm bells were going off in Gordon’s head.

_Plan Covered Up is Go._

” Oh, no reason, just curious, just curious,” he said with an innocence look.

_Nothing is going on here,_ He thought.

” okay?” Alan said.

**Scott Pov**

_Note to self, keep an eye on Gordon and maybe warn John._

” Um, can I asked something?” Alan asked him as he walked next to Scott.

_well, you just did but okay ask away._

”Sure you can, ” Scott said as he looked down at Alan.

” who was that lady that was in the kitchen?” Alan asked.

_Lady? Oh, Omaha. We look different than his versions of us, so of course, he wouldn’t recognise Omaha._

”that’s Omaha,” he said.

for some reason, Alan looked even more confused.

”uh, I don’t know who that is?” Alan said.

_What, why would he not know?_  Scott thought puzzled.

”don’t you have an Omaha in your world?” Virgil asked.

Alan shakes his head. 

”never heard the name until now,” Alan said.

_okay, that explains why he doesn’t know-Wait if he never met Omaha what about Tintin and Kyrano?_

” so no Tintin and Kyrano?” he asked.

”uh yeah never met some called Tintin,” Alan said. ” but my sister last name is Kyrano!” Alan said happily.

”Sister!?” they said. They stopped in shock. 

_I HAVE A SISTER! I mean this other version of me has a sister._

” you have a sister!?” Virgil said.

_Why is her last name Kyrano if she a Tracy?_  He thought.

_Maybe she married that’s why._

”uh yeah, well technically shes, uh my adopted sister but yeah I got a sister,”  Alan said proudly.

_That why her name is different._

_Wait a second; other me has not just four little brothers but four little brothers and a little sister. No wonder he stressed. Wait why am I assuming that she younger than him?_

_Is this version of me even the oldest?_

_Too many questions at once Scott,_  he thought.

_Ask later; Dad wants us down in Brains lab._

”guys remember, Dad wants us down in Brain’s lab,” he said.

”Oh, yeah,” Virgil said.  Alan and Gordon nodded.

They started walking again. They made it to the lift that takes you down to the silos.

In the lift.

” so who is Tintin? And Omaha and Kyrano?” Alan asked.

”well Tintin is Omaha and Kyrano daughter,” Scott said.

”Oh okay,” Alan said. Alan was looking out of the lift window into the silos.

” Omaha does the cooking, and kyrano does the garden,” Gordon added.

”Okay,” Alan said not taking his eyes off of the Thunderbird crafts that were visible.

_This is something familiar. I guess a fascination of the thunderbirds is just an Alan tract,_  Scott thought with a smile.

”Yeah, Tintin is about our Alan’s age, you may see her around the island,“ Virgil said.

Alan looked away from the silos at that, "uh how old is your version of me?”

”he sixteen, ” he said.

”oh so he’s older than me,” Alan said.

_Older? That means this Alan is under 16 and going on missions._

_Why would Dad let- unless he wasn’t the one to-_

_NO, I don’t want to think about that!_ He thought to himself.

Scott just realised that Virgil was giving them an ’i told you so’ look.

”if you don’t mind me asking how old are you? ” Virgil asked.

” huh, oh I’m fourteen, ” Alan said as the lift doors opened.

As they walked over to Brains lab Scott notice Alan looking at Thunderbird three silo.

_Thought he be looking at where thunderbird one is, our A_ _lan is all ways asking to fly her._

That reminded him of spring brack where their Alan fired up Thunderbird one.

_Should change the code just in case before tomorrow when our Alan gets home._

Dad and Brains were talking as they got there.

Dad turned around to talk to them.

”good you all here,” Dad said.


	10. Chapter 10

**Jeff’s Pov**

”okay I have been talking with Brains on a way to get Alan home,” he said to them.

”and that is?” Alan asked curiously as he stepped forward.

”well, the f-fact that an m-machine b-brought you here, means an m-machine can get you home,” Brains said.

Alan nodded in understanding.  

”but Brains the machine that brought Alan here, well it 2060 technology, we don’t have that” Scott said.

“2060 technology can’t be that advanced,” Gordon said, he turned to Alan 

“right?” Gordon asked.

Alan didn’t need to say anything, the look on his face said it all. 

“Oh,” Gordon said dishearted.

“yes that was a problem that me and Brains ran into,” he said.

“there has to be a way around it,” Alan said. “the machine didn’t look to complicated when I was scannin-” Alan stopped mid-sentence his eyes widening.

Alan jump forward with a grin ” I was scanning it!” Alan said with unexpected energy.

_where did that energy come from?_

“I can’t believe I forgot I was scanning it!” Alan said to himself.

_What is he going on about?_ He thought confused.

“uh, what do you mean you were scanning it?” Virgil asked.

“huh? Um, I was scanning it? I don’t know what you mean?” Alan said.

“what Virgil was trying to say is could you maybe be more specific on what you mean by scanning,” he said.

“Oh, what I meant was that I have a digital 3D modal slash blueprint of the machine on my suits computer” Alan explained. 

_that makes a lot more sense._

“sorry i forgot its not 2060,i can get overexcited at times and forget that other people don’t know what i’m going on about” Alan said rubbing his neck.

_This kid is going to be a handful isn’t he?_

”its okay, and that scan as you called it, it definitely will be a big help ” he smiled at Alan.  ” Brains what do you think?”

”I’ll h-have to h-have an l-look at it, to know for c-c-certain, but y-yes it does help.”

” do you want me to get it now?” Alan asked.

” yes that be good,” he said.

**Virgil pov**

As they were waiting for Alan to come back, Virgil decided to talk to Scott about Alan.

”so is it just me or is this Alan different than ours?” he asked.

”you’re not the only one,” Scott said. “He does acts differently, but that could be his age. he is younger than our Alan ” Scott said.

“I don’t know if that it but he a lot more excitable from what I have seen." 

"Oh, yeah I was not excepting that energy, our Alan never gets that excited.” Scott said.

“well we were talking about a way to get him home but yeah our Alan don’t get excited like that ” 

Scott nodded.

“I hate to be the one to bring this up but do you wonder what happened to this Alan’s Dad?” Virgil said.

“I guess, we know he is missing but other than that we don’t know what happened,” Scott said.

_is it bad that i want to know what happened?_

“it makes you think how we would handle if it happened to us doesn’t it?” Virgil said.

“Yeah,” Scott said with a deep sigh.

They turned their attention back to the others when they heard footsteps.  
Alan came running back.

”got it!” Alan shouted as he came to stop.

_what is it?_  Virgil thought confused.

_it was a red thing with a screen on it._

”um, how it works?” Gordon asked.

”Oh, like this” Alan said as he touches it.

A semi-transparent computer screen appeared out of thin air. Virgil took a step back in surprise.  _Wow, that cool._ He thought looking at Alan’s computer?

_I don’t think I ever seen brains eyes go that wide_ , Virgil thought.

” here it is,” Alan said as found something on it.

Alan taped it, and an enlarge digital diagram of a machine flashed up.

”would this help?” Alan said as he hands Brains the device.

Brains seem shall shock.

”Brains?” Dad said.

” huh? Oh, y-yeah, t-this, this w-wow” Brains said.” um y-yeah I th-think I-I  c-could b-b-build this” Brains said as he looked at it.

Alan looks like he starts jumping up and down in excitement.

” how long do you think it take to make?” Dad asked.

” well, I need to study it first, and then I’ll need to figure out how to get it to open up in Alan’s world, and not someplace random” Brains said.

_that does not sound easy._

Alan seemed to deflect a bit.

”you’ll be able to do that, right?” Alan said his tone inches away from begging.

”we figure that out when we get there,” Dad said.

”yeah okay,” Alan said, but the strain to his voice says the opposite.

“thank you brains we leave you too it” Dad said.

”well I got some work to get done, I’ll see you boys, later,” Dad said to them as he lefted.

_that reminds me i need to move the boxes out of our Alan’s room before tomorrow. Fermat and Alan comes home from school tomorrow._


	11. Chapter 11

**scott pov**

Virgil wasn’t the only on to notice that Alan wasn’t exactly okay with Dad’s answer.

So after his Dad left, he went over to Alan.  
“we find a way to get you home kid, don’t worried,” he said quietly so Alan could only hear him.

“yeah, of course” Alan whispered biting his lip.

_that didn’t sound very convincing_ ,he thought.

_why does it seem like it going to be a up hill battle to get Alan home._  

* * *

**Alan pov.**

The others had left to do their own thing leaving Alan to explore.

_they do have a lot of islander art works around the place_ , he thought as he explore.

He made his way outside.

_they really gone all out on the island home look_ ,he thought looking at all the landscaping and plants.  _why they got two pools?_

“Hey, Alan!” Gordon called “come over here.”

Gordon was sitting near the pool closest to the house, talking with a teenage girl.  

“This is Tintin, the girl we told you about,” Gordon said.

“Uh hi,” he said to Tintin.

“ Hello, Alan,” Tintin said. 

There was an awkward silence that Gordon quickly broke.

“So what you think of the island?” 

“It’s bigger than home.” he said.

“Big? I guess it is petty big” Gordon said. 

“um Gordon told me that my parents or I don’t live with you, so it makes sense that it’s smaller, not as many people have to live there,” Tintin said.

“yeah! I see what you mean. like there me and then there are my brothers which adds up to five plus brains and grandma, would equal seven” he said listing them off with his fingers. “and here you got, well you and your parents which be three more and da- so yeah definitely less than here” he said quickly at the end.

“what about Fermat?” Gordon said.

“Fermat? whos Fermat?” he asked.

“you don’t know who Fermat is? he brains son, about your age” Gordon said.

_brains has a son?! and he my age?_

“Oh, yeah my brains don’t have a son,he about the same age as my Scott and to have a kid that would be my age..” he shuddered.

“huh so brain is Scott age? that cool. well Fermat is our Alan’s best friend, you’ll meet them when they come home tomorrow.” Gordon said.

_Come home from where? What?_  He thought confused. Before he could ask what they meant, someone called from the house.

“Tintin can you come over here and help me with lunch” the lady from breakfast called. 

_i think her name Omaha,_  he thought. 

“Coming mum!” Tintin called back. “ I’ll see you around; it was nice to meet you, Alan.”

“uh, yeah I was nice to meet you too,” he said.

That left him alone with Gordon.

**gordon pov**

“uh, I was wondering, what do you mean by my counterpart coming home? coming home from where?” Alan said.

_what does he mean? shouldn’t he know that Alan would be at school?_

“from school?” he said.

“wait what? this version of me go to bounding school?” Alan said.

“Yeah, you don’t?” he asked.

Alan shook his head “no I’m homeschooled.”

“huh? How you manage that? our Alan has been asking dad to be homeschooled for ages.” he said.

“um I didn’t,” Alan said.

“uh, what you mean by you didn’t?”

"I mean, my scott was the one to make that decision, not my dad,” Alan muttered.

_oh.. what do I say to that?_

“Gordon, Alan, lunch ready come get something before it all gone” Virgil called from the house.


	12. Chapter 12

**Jeff pov**.  **3.00pm**

He was working on some paperwork that he had to finish this week for his company, Tracy industries.

”hey dad, can I talk with you?” Scott said from the door to his office.

”Sure son,” he said, turning to face his son ”what you want to tell me?”

Scott closed the door as he started to talk.

”well it’s something me and the others found out about this Alan,“ Scott said as he sat down on the edge of the desk "that I thought you should know,” Scott said.

_The fact that Scott closed the door, already tell him that this isn’t going to be a random chat but a more serious conversation._

_Now the fact it has something to do with the Alan that they really don’t know anything about other than guessing base on what their Alan is like and what they have learned by being around this Alan, it is concerning._

“Well okay Scott,” he said.

"well to start with this Alan is fourteen, not sixteen,” Scott said.

_what?_

“he’s fourteen? that’s really young to be out on missions” he said

_too young, why is he on missions at his age?_

“yeah it is …dad you don’t” Scott took a moment to think his words over “think that maybe you- his version of you, I mean. was already missing by then? ” Scott asked

“that’s a tough question to answer Scott,” he said. “we don’t know for sure why he is on missions, but I’m sure, his version of me… or you had a good reason for having him on missions,” he said.

“yeah I guess, it just his version of you is  **missing** , and that is… not nice to think about dad.”

“I know son, I know. it is not something any of us like to think about,” he said putting his hand on Scott’s shoulder in comfort.

“that not all I and the others found out dad,” Scott said.

_there more?_

“he doesn’t know Tintin or her parents in his world,” Scott said. 

_what? does that mean we didn’t go on that mining rescue or i just didn’t hired them to work for me?_

“well that is …intersecting” he said.

"and apparently he has a sister,” Scott said.

_that was not a good time for him to take a sip of his coffee._

* * *

**Alan pov**

**sometime later that day.**

He was sitting outside looking at the stars.

_The stars were weirdly comforting, they were one of the only things that weren’t different in this world._

_This world It is so_ **different** _but at the same time_ **_teasingly familiar_ ** _**,** that it  **hurts**._

_My brothers must be so worried, I just **disappeared**  through a wormhole. Scott was on the mission with me. _

_He was yelling at me, and I couldn’t answer. **‘ALAN GET AWAY FROM THERE!’**_ He flinched at the memory.

“I miss you guys,” he mutters to himself.

_What would my brothers be doing right now?_

_Gordon would be probably in the pool for a late night swim or maybe in his room watching his favourite show. That show I swear has scared me for life!_

_What would Virgil be doing now? Well, he does work on his bird a lot so he could be working on his bird. Or he could be painting or playing the piano._

_I wish I could listen to some of his music right now._

_John… he probably got his hands full with calls and EOS. If he was down from five, maybe he is stargazing._

_It’s a nice thought that somewhere perhaps John and I are doing the same thing,_  he thought with a smile.

_Scott… Scott is probably blaming himself for letting me go on that mission. Scotty is always doing that, I wish he wouldn’t._

_he may be doing some paperwork(i have no clue why we still call it that when it has no paper involved?)_

_Grandma… she is probably trying to cook something or-or -_ _Thinking about them is making the hurting in his chest hurt more._

  _What he would give to be in their embrace right now,_ he thought as he rubbed away the tears that had append with out warning. 

  _He rather not let his brother’s counterparts or his d-dad’s counterpart see him cry. he fine with his brothers seeing him cry, but not their counterparts, they not the same._

“Alan,it cold out, can you come inside,” someone said from the house.

_it was his dad counterpart._

“uh okay?” he said as he got up. _It wasn’t that cold._

As he walked past Jeff, Jeff stopped him. “you okay Alan?”

“yeah I’m fine!” he gave his biggest smile, _that if you have known him would know straight away that it was fake._

_but Jeff seemed to have bought it_ , “okay, good” Jeff said.


	13. Chapter 13

**the next day**   
**Wharton Academy, Massachusetts. 10:55 am Friday.  
movie Alan pov**

It was the last day before the summer brack. Alan was sitting at the back of the classroom a desk across from format his best friend, who despite his age of fourteen, was in the same grade as Alan.

_I can’t wait to get home and get out of this place_ , Alan thought.  _I could be on some missions like my brothers, but no, I’m stuck at this school._

_But this is better than not being involved at all, at least I’m in training now._

“Alan!” Fermat whispered pulling Alan out of his thoughts.

 Fermat gestured with his head to the front of the classroom where the teacher was talking; she didn’t realise that Alan wasn’t paying attention.

_Good, I don’t need to give dad a reason to ground me before I’m even on brack,_  he thought.

* * *

**Meanwhile at Tracy island.**

**Gordon pov**

As he was making his way to the pool, he overheard Tintin and Alan talking in the lounge. Something Tintin said caught his attention.

* * *

“you different than our Alan,” Tintin said.

“huh? how?” Alan asked.

“I don’t know, you just different,” Tintin said.

* * *

_He does seem different, now that I think about it,_  he thought as he floats in the pool after finishing his laps.  _He a lot more talkative I guess?_

“Hey, Scott! can you come here?” he yelled to Scott, who was sitting on near the pool but far enough away from the pool so Gordon won’t splash him.

“why?” Scott asked suspiciously as he made his way over.

“I want to talk?” he said from the pool edge.

“okay… what you want to talk about? your back not hurting is it!?”

“what? No,” he said.

_Seriously Scott why do you always jump to the worse possible concussion all the time?_

“I wanted to ask if you notice how this Alan acts differently than ours.”

“huh?…yeah, I guess,he does but that to be expected, Gordon. he is from a different world” Scott said sitting down on a bench near the poolside.

“yeah, I guess…oh did you know he homeschooled.”

“wait. what?! he homeschooled?” Scott asked.

“Yeah, apparently your counterpart is the one that started him on homeschooling,” he said.

“oh..okay” Scott said.

“hey thinking about school, who is picking up our Alan and Fermat up from school?” he asked.

“I don’t know?… I think I’m going to go ask dad about that” Scott said as he got up.

“ooohh be careful, you may have to be the one to pick the sprout up” he joked.

“Oh, ha, ha, Gordon,” Scott said sarcastically.

**Alan pov**

He made his way down to brains lab to ask about how it was going on getting him home.

_Huh!? I didn’t get lost!_ He thought in triumph as he made it to the silos.

Brains seemed to be heavily focusing on something.

_He has **learnt from**_ **experience** _not to startle brains when he is doing something._

He made his footsteps louder,  _(which was hard to do! He wasn’t that heavy.)_

“Oh, he-hello a-alan” brains said looking up from his work.

_This brains sure does stutter more than my brains._

“hey brain!” he said with a smile. “ I was just wondering how it was going with the machine?” he asked.

“oh y-yeah!” brains said as he pulled out Alan’s wrist controller and some paper from his desk.

_Wow he got real paper!-oh yeah it 2010 here of course they still use paper,_  he thought.

“It-think I got the w-w-wormhole part of it d-d-down but-" 

"but not the part with finding my world right?” he said look at the paper that he just realised were  _old fashion blueprints or to him, they’re old fashion._

“y-yes”

_Okay so how are we going to get me home? Well… in the movies the person that travel to the different world has a different energy signature or something?_ _Does that exist in real life? Well, the only chance I got I guess._

“Okay um I got an idea, you said you looked at my DNA right?” he asked.

“y-yes?” brains said.

“were there anything they that you could maybe use to  **track**  my world, like if I  have a different energy signature that you could **trace back**  to my world or is that just in the movies?” he said.

“W-well that is  **p-p-possible** , but I’ll n-need to look i-it over before i-I can say any-anything .” brains said.

_it’s not a no, so that good enough for me._

“Okay, thanks!” he said with a big smile.

**Wharton Academy, Massachusetts. 2:55 pm Friday.**

**Fermat pov**

The school usually have classes end a half hour early on the last day of school so they can be ready to be picked up at 3:00 pm.

he and Alan were waiting outside on a grass patch with their suitcases.

Alan was his best friend ever since they met  **five years ago**  when himself and his father moved to Tracy Island. It was a year after the Tracys had moved there themselves. International rescue became a reality in the following year.

“so W-who do you t-think will pick us u-up?” he asked.

“I don’t know, Fermat,” Alan said.

“do you think your dad will pick us up?" 

"probably not, he always busy. so I don’t think he will have the time to pick us up.” Alan said.

He checked his watch; it read 3:05 pm.  _someone should be here soon._

“Hey, you two!” a voice yelled.

they both looked to where the voice came from, _it was Scott, Alan’s oldest brother._


	14. Chapter 14

**Tracy one. Over the Pacific ocean.**

**Scott pov**

“wait.what!"Alan said, his eyes widening than narrowing  "that  **stupid** , there no way he’s me!” Alan said after finding out about his counterpart.

_should have expected that response, Alan doesn’t believe stuff easy,_ he thought.

“Alan, you know we wouldn’t have brought him to the island if we weren’t an  **100% sure** ,” he said from the pilot seat turning his head slightly to look Alan in the eye.

Alan turn his eyes away.

_I wish I could sometimes **understand** what goes on his head_; he thought as he turned his attention back to flying the jet.

“so a-a M-Multiverse exists!?” Fermat mutter to himself excitedly. “ I got so many questions to ask him.”

_Questions? Better make sure that they know what not to ask like his dad is… missing. I **hate** thinking about that,_ he thought with a frown.

“okay Fermat, Alan, listen up,” he said firmly to make sure they know that he is serious. “there is some stuff that you  **need to**  know before you meet this Alan.”

“like what?” Alan asked glancing sideways at Fermat.

“Well for one, in this Alan’s world it 2060, not 2010.”

“so he from the future too?” Alan asked.

“yes”

Fermat was nearly jumping in his seat.  _Maybe I **shouldn’t** have stared with that._

“T-This is s-so cool.it not e-every day you meet s-someone from a D-different world, P-plus, the future, isn’t it Alan?” Fermat said.

“I guess, but it different when it’s your  **self** ,” Alan said.

_Huh, he admits that this Alan is a different version of himself, at least that something. But you need to get this conversation back on track._

“You two, I wasn’t finished,” he said getting their attention. “ supposedly in his world, the thunderbirds are public.”

“what! but dad is always saying the thunderbirds can’t work  **without** secretly?!” Alan said.

“yes, we better off being secret but that here, his world is different to ours,” he said.

“I’m pretty sure, even in his world, dad wouldn’t like going  **public** ” he heard Alan Mutter.

He couldn’t hide his winced this time.

“Scott?” Alan asked

_You need to **tell them** , Scott, there’s is no point putting it off._

He sighed, putting the jet on autopilot. He turned to face both of them.

“okay, there is no easy way of saying this but” he took a moment to gather his thoughts. 

Alan and Fermat shared a confused look.

“this Alan’s dad, he missing." 

they both gasped, there eyes going wide. 

"what! what the  **hell**  do you mean his dad is missing?!” Alan shouted jumping forward in his seat. 

_Usually, he tell Alan off for that kind of language, but with the situation he let it pass this once. Anyway, that’s **Dad’s job**  to tell Alan off for language._

“that he is missing, we don’t know for how long, but we are guessing it been a while,” he said.

The silence was deafening.

“that why I need you to be careful with your questions,”

“Okay, Scott,” Alan said. Fermat nodded along.

“so how was school?” he asked. 

Alan gave a groan 

* * *

**sometime later.**

“Tracy one on final approach to Tracy island, do you read me Tracy island,” he said.

“r-read you l-Loud and c-clear, Tracy one” brains said from the radio. 

Fermat smiled when he heard his dad’s voice.

“hello brains, where my dad? he normally monitoring the control centre” he asked.

“m-Mr Tracy and your b-brothers are o-out on an fl-flood rescue r-right now.”

_They on a rescue? Do they need help? No, I’m sure they can handle it on their own, dad’s with them._

“well okay, do I have clearance to land?” he asked.

“you are cl-clear to land, s-see you s-soon. t-Tracy island o-out” brains said signing off.

* * *

**TAG Alan pov**

_To say he was bored was an **understatement**. _ _I am not doing used to not something._

_Usually, I could play a video game or maybe **talk to one of his brothers**  or heck I’ll do my school work if I’m this bored usually. (but that the last resort!)  _

he was wandering around the house, trying to entertain himself by exploring a bit more.

**movie Alan pov**

“so when are we meet this ‘me’?” he asked after they landed.

“he probably somewhere around the house,” Scott said as he lifted Fermat’s luggage out of the jet.

“T-thanks Scott” Fermat said. 

“your welcome Fermat” Scott said.

as Scott was talking, he got his own luggage out of the jet.

“ i was going to get your luggage out too, you know” Scott said.

“i’m not a  **kid**  Scott” he said.

* * *

“do you two need help unpacking?” Scott asked as they were in the lift to the upper levels of the vile.

“no,” he said as he walked out of the lift not looking where he was going.

Scott’s and Fermat’s eyes widen “Alan! stop!” Scott shouted.

_What?_  He thought, but it was too late. He had bumped in to somebody knocking them to the floor.

He spun around to face who he knocked over.

_It was a kid, about Fermat’s age. With **blond**  hair. the island don’t have random kids running around so it was obvious who he bumped into was._

_i just bumped in to **myself**!! _ He thought with wide eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (i’ll be referring to TAG alan as the younger alan until I get to the bit where the characters figure out that they need to call one of the alans something other that alan )

**(movie)alan POV**

**5:30 pm**

He was frozen in shock, not taking his eyes off his- _his younger self? Version? He had blond hair like himself, but its a bright blond come compared to his brownish blond hair._

Scott had come forward, “you okay kid” Scott said as held out his hand to the younger alan. 

“uh yeah, I’m fine,” the younger alan said to Scott with a grateful smile, then turned to him “ Um hi?” the younger alan said to him.

“hi?” he said. 

“well um, alan… meet …alan,” Scott said. They were both looking at each other. 

There was a weird tension building. 

“um, this pretty weird isn’t it?” his younger self-said to him with a nervous laugh, lessing some of the tension.

“you can say that again,” Scott muttered off to the side of them.

fermat came up to the younger alan. “ hi-hi I’m F-Fermat.”

“Um hi.” his younger self? said.

_This was just too much for him to handle right now_. He thought as he looked for a way out, his eyes landed on fermat suitcase.

“um I and fermat need to unpack, so yeah see you around,” he said as he made his escape,“come on fermat” he called.

“uh, um coming, uh nice to meet you,” fermat said to the younger alan as hurrying after him.

**Scott pov.**

_Did he seriously walk out like that?_  He asked himself in disbelief.

“soo…” the younger Alan asked looking up at him, “what you guys normally do around here?”

_What?_

“to keep your selves occupied I mean.” alan add-on at his confused look.  
 _ohh, he bored huh,_  he thought in amusement.

“what you normally do, when you bored?” he asked as he started to walk out of the hallway and into the lounge.

Alan said following Scott.“ well, I usually play a video game or…” alan stopped what he was saying.

_What was he going to say?_

“or?” he asked.  _I am not pushing my boundaries, right?_

“Well, normally I’ll talk to one of my brothers” alan murmurs.  
  
 _oh, you should have left it, Scott!_

“so what do you do around here?” Alan asked a cheerful look on his face again. 

_This kid doesn’t say down for long._

“Um, I have a chess board?… Want to play a game of chess?” he said.  _I’m may not be his Scott, but the least I can do is spend some time with the kid._

“cool! My Virgil been teaching me to play,” Alan said.

* * *

**Jeff pov. Ten mins out from Tracy Island. 7:50pm**

_Rescues caused by natural disasters were always the most Emotionally draining for him, too much of a reminder of his wife’s death._

His attention drifted to Thunderbird two radio. A call was coming from Tracy Island.

“Thunderbird two here,” Virgil answered.

a screen on Thunderbird two console lit up, showing brains on the display.

“what is it brains?” he asked from the pilot seat. 

“I w-was j-just calling to l-let you k-know that S-Scott and the k-kids got home s-safe a-and sound, Mr Tracy” brains said.

_that good that they home._

“okay thank you brains, we ten mins out from Tracy island now, so we should be home soon,” he said, he ended the call.

“Virgil can you take the controls, I’m going to get a headache tablet,” he said as he passed the controls over to Virgil.

“you okay dad?” Virgil asked.

“I’m fine, just a headache,” he said, with a smile to reassure his sons that he was okay.

**virgil pov**

“so Two Alans, in the same room…“ Gordon said, ” this is going to be one crazy brack.”

_You can say that again. John can probably see the storm brewing from Thunderbird five._

“well it normally is crazy with just one alan, troubles follow that kid,” he said.

“he started his training now. I feel sorry for the unlucky person that has to train him,” Gordon joked.

“what makes you think, it won’t be you,” he asked.

“me, no way, no how, not doing it,” Gordon said putting his legs up on the console. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw dad come back as Gordon was talking.  _Gordon hasn’t noticed that dad was back yet._

“Gordon! Get your feet off that dash right now, young man” dad said.

The reaction was instant. “dad!” Gordon yelped.

“Thunderbird two is a state of the art Rescues vehicle, not your footrest.” dad said sternly. 

“Sorry dad,” Gordon said.

“I understand that you both are tired, but it not long until we are home,  you can rest then,” dad said.

They both nodded.

**Gordon pov.**

It was late when they got back, about 8 o'clock. 

Scott met them in the kitchen.

“how was the mission?” Scott asked.

“tiring but that not new,” he said with a tired smile as he helped himself to some leftovers.

“Scott we should be asking you that, with having to pick up the sprout and fermat,” Virgil said, as he got himself some food too.

“ur it wasn’t that bad, just take a while to convince Alan that this other alan is a different version of him,” Scott said.

“I don’t blame him,” he said with a mouthful “it’s a crazy situation we in.”

“Gordon, don’t speak with your mouthful,” dad said as he made himself a coffee.

”sorry,” he said.

“so I’m guessing those two met already?” Virgil asked Scott.

“huh?”

“Alan and… well the other alan.” Virgil said. “wow.. it is going to get very confusing calling them the same name." 

"Oh, yeah they met already.."Scott said.” and yeah, it is going to get confusing with them having the same name.“

"we can figure that out tomorrow, it’s late. I’m off to bed, I suggest you do the same” dad said.

“night dad,” they said.

**Virgil pov.**

They made their way into the lounge.

“wait he just walked out like that?" 

"yeah”

“well, we are talking about our Alan,” Gordon said as he made his way to the couch.

“uh, guys?” Gordon said stopping in his tracks.

“what is it gordon?-oh,"he said looking down at where Gordon was looking to find the younger Alan was curled up fast asleep on the couch. 

"what you looking at?” Scott said coming over.

“Shh,” he said pointing at the younger alan.

“Oh, what is he doing out here?"Scott asked.

"don’t know” he gave a shrug.

“he sure does seems young doesn’t he?” Gordon said sitting down on the armrest.

“well he is young, he’s fourteen,” Scott said sitting in the corner of the couch that alan was asleep on.

“seems so long ago when our alan was his age,” he said.

“Yeah,” Scott said with a fond smile at the memory. 

“you know this alan, he does act differently than ours, have you noticed?” Gordon asked.

“well yeah, we have,” he said, “it hard not to notice." 

scott looked to be in deep thought as he was looking at Alan.

"Scott?” he asked.

“huh? Oh, I was thinking.. well his versions of us must be worried sick."Scott said.

_That true, if it were us, we would be terrified._

"you know… until we can get this kid home, he is our responsibly to look after. Just like any of us would look after each other, we all know we would want our alan to be looked after if it was the other way around,” Scott said.

_Wow, that a lot to think about now, but Scott’s right._

“you right Scott,” he said.

gordon nodded.


	16. Chapter 16

**TAG verse.**

The house was too quiet, too dark. Its normal light gone, the childish laughter that rang through it gone.  
  
The last couple of days had been horrible. Not knowing if they were ever going to get Alan back, if they were ever going to feel whole again.

He had been trying to comfort his family, but it was hard. Everything seemed harder now.

Gordon had stopped joking, and he hadn’t seen him near the pool in ages, which was wrong on so many levels.   
  
Scott had forced John down from Five, that was one argument he wishes would never happen again.   
  
So John had been helping Brains with his theory. Hopefully, Brains was right, and they can find Alan; bring him back safe and sound, back home where he belonged.  
  
Grandma had been stress baking, so they avoided the kitchen the best they could.   
  
Kayo had, in all likelihood, traumatise the poor inverter of the machine that started all this, trying to get all the information she could.   
  
Scott hadn’t had a decent night sleep since Alan went missing, not stopping until they found Alan. 

It was like Dad all over again, but it was different this time, he had to remind himself. They had a clue, a hope that Brains would pull through for them, and they would have their light back, their baby brother back.

* * *

**Movieverse**  
 **Virgil pov. Saturday, noon.**  
  
He was sitting on the couch talking with Al (they had figured out that that was what they were going to call him). Scott was sitting across the room, on his laptop, but at the same time keeping an eye on Alan, Fermat and Tintin outside in the pool.

“Hey, I wanted to ask, does your uniform have a chest plate?” He asked,  _he remembered seeing something like a chest plate when Al first got there._

Scott looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. Al didn’t look confused at all.

“Oh yeah, you saw it when I first got here, didn’t you?” Al asked.

“Yeah, I was wondering…. why do you have a chest plate?” He asked,  _but he could sort of guess why, knowing their Alan. This Alan can’t be too different, but this kid was surprising them with how he is different, so…_

“Wait, you have a chest plate?” Scott asked, coming over to them, leaning on the back of the couch. “What did you do that your versions of us thought you needed a chest plate?”

“More like what haven’t I done,” Al muttered under his breath.

“What?” He asked, _did I hear that right?_

“Nothing! …Let’s just say I’m a little bit accident prone and leave it at that.” Al said, rubbing the back of his neck.

_He fell through a wormhole, yeah he’s accident prone,_  he thought, sharing a look with Scott. _Also, their Alan does have a habit of finding trouble too, so it’s not far-fetched to think the same with Al._

“Plus, space just throws you around a lot too,” Al said casually.

_Wait, what? Space?!_

“Wai-what? Space? Why-” he stumbled over his words.

“You’ve been to space?!” Scott asked, wide-eyed.

“Uh, yeah? I’m Thunderbird Three’s pilot after all,” Al said.

_Okay, that sort of explains how he’s been in space, but they let a fourteen-year-old fly a rocket!?_

“You’re Thunderbird Three’s pilot? No offence, but isn’t that Gordon’s ship?” Scott asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Gordon’s ship? Um, Gordon’s ship is Thunderbird Four in my world,” Al said, confused.

“Thunderbird Four?” Alan asked, coming into the room. “What is this about Gordon and Thunderbird Four?”

* * *

**Later that day.  
Scott pov.**

_He couldn’t get what Al said out of his head. Al’s version of him let a fourteen-year-old fly a rocket into space! But he could understand why Gordon was in Thunderbird Four, not Three._

_Gordon loved water, that’s why he went into WASP before the Thunderbirds and the accident. But, well, he really shouldn’t judge. He didn’t know all the details. Maybe if he did, he’d make the same choices, but he honestly couldn’t see why he’d have Alan out there in the field that young._

_He really didn’t want to think about it,_ so he made his way down to his ship. That always calms him down.

Thunderbird Three was gone, Dad and Gordon had gone up to get John from Five.

Brains were busy working away in his lab.

He took a detour over to the lab.

“Hello, Brains.”

“Ahh! Oh i-it’s y-you, Scott. What c-c-can I d-do for you?” Brains said.

“Nothing, Brains. I was just saying hi on my way to Thunderbird One,” he said. “and wow, is that the machine that is going to send Al home?”

_It was massive._

“Y-yes, it should, but I just need to f-figure out h-how to lo-loc-find Al’s world,” Brains said.

“Huh, you have any ideas?”

“Well, there could be a d-difference in his c-cell s-structure compared to ours, so h-hopefully I could use t-that if this t-theory is right. But I’ll n-need to run this b-by Mr Tracy first.”

“Knowing you, Brains, it will be.” He said. “See you around, Brains.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Jeff’s pov.**  
  
“Dad?” Gordon asked, from the co-pilot seat of Thunderbird Three.  
  
“Yes, Son?”  
  
“You know how Al’s you is missing, right?”

_Like he could forget that. His boys, in Al’s world, were orphans, which he never wanted for his boys, his world or not. He felt responsible for them._  
  
“Yeah.” He nodded.  _Where was this going? Gordon looked troubled._ “Is everything okay, Son?”

“Well..no. Everything isn’t okay.” Gordon said, gripping Thunderbird Three’s controls.  
  
“Al’s version of you is missing, and I know, I know there’s more to it, because any version of you wouldn’t just disappear on us and-”   
  
“Gordon, I know the idea that there’s a world where I’m not around is scary for you boys, I don’t really like it myself, but as much as you boys like to think I’m invincible, I’m only human.”   
  
"I know, Dad.” Gordon said. “It just makes me think of how we would-’  
  
"Now, none of that, Son. There’s no point in dwelling on it, it’s not going to happen, okay?”   
  
 _He’ll make sure of that… he was going to everything he could to stay with his boys, so there was no point in them worrying themselves over it._  
  
“Yeah, of course not!” Gordon said. “Hey! Did Scott tell you that Al’s homeschooled?”  
  
“No, he didn’t." 

_Al was homeschooled? That would explain some stuff, like how he said he didn’t know a lot of people; because, of course, you wouldn’t, with being homeschooled on an island._  
  
"Whoops, I didn’t want to be one to tell you that.” Gordon said, grinning sheepishly.  
  
 _It was common knowledge between his sons that he didn’t agree with homeschooling when it came to his children. He wanted them to have a normal childhood and going to school is a part of that._  
  
 _Which caused explosive arguments between him and his youngest._  
  
“So, I’m guessing Fermat is homeschooled too?” _Those two boys were inseparable so, it was not too far-fetched to think if one of them was homeschooled, the other would be too._  
  
“Um, no, Al said his Brains doesn’t have a son. So no Fermat,” Gordon said.  
  
 _No Fermat? No Tintin…does Al have any friends at all?_  
  
“You have sure been learning a lot from Al,” he said.  
  
 _Maybe I should try talking to Al a bit more; it was just whenever he was around, Al would tense up. He could sort of understand, he was a version of Al’s missing father, so of course, Al would be a little tense around him._  
  
“Well, he’s an easy kid to talk to. He’s different to Alan, but sort of the same at the same time. When I’m talking to him, I get the feeling he’s a lot more innocent, but, at the same time, that he has seen stuff that we could barely comprehend, if that makes sense?”  
  
Thunderbird Five was in sight now.  
  
“Thunderbird Five, this is Thunderbird Three. Permission to dock?” he asked.  
  
“Permission granted, Thunderbird Three.” John said. “What took you so long?”

“Hey, we could always leave you there,” Gordon joked.

* * *

**John’s pov.**

_The good thing about Five was it gave him time to get his head around the fact that there was a different version of Alan on the island._

_He was curious. What was this Alan like? What he had heard from his brothers so far was that Al (as Dad told him they were calling this Alan) acted differently compared to their Alan. His brothers acted sort of surprised by this, but it didn’t surprise him._

_This Alan was from a different world than theirs, so of course he’d be different. Plus, Dad was missing in Al’s world, for how long they don’t know, but he knew from personal experience that grief can change people._

_Dad had filled him in on all that had been going on, and wow, it was a lot to think about._

_This Alan was fourteen and he was going on missions. Well, it was a bit young, but he knew Alan. Even a younger version would take the challenge in stride._

_Plus, he knew Scott wouldn’t let a fourteen-year-old on the field without training or if he didn’t think Alan could handle it. He knew that their family tended to underestimate their Alan because of his age. He was sure his Scott, or Dad even, was questioning Scott’s counterpart decisions, but the way he saw it was that they shouldn’t judge. They didn’t know what lead to those decisions._

_Now, the fact he was a redhead in Al’s world surprised him, like, where did that come from?!_

_And Gordon was blond, it’s a bit strange, but it’s not the craziest thing Gordon would do, so…_

“Tracy Island, this Thunderbird Three. Do I have permission to land?


	18. Chapter 18

**John pov**

_His first impression of Al was a small blond puppy, don’t ask where that came, he doesn’t know.  
He was definitely an interesting kid, that was for sure._

“So, what do you think of Al?” Virgil asked, later that night, sitting down next to him.

“He’s interesting, that’s for sure. Is he always that excited?”

“Yeah, pretty different to our Alan, huh?” Virgil grinned.

“Well, our Alan does get excited about the Thunderbirds, even though he tries to hide it.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Virgil nodded. “Well, talking about the Thunderbirds, Al actually flies Three.”

“He does?”

_That’s new information; Alan piloting Three… Dad would probably have a fit finding out that_. “Does Dad know?”

“No, he doesn’t,” Virgil said. “I only found out recently.”

_I don’t want to be the room when Dad finds out,_  he thought.

“So, if Al’s piloting Three, that means Gordon pilots Four, right?”

_Which, admittedly, makes a lot more sense. Gordon loves the ocean so of course, he pilots the sea bird._

“Nothing gets past you, does it, John?” Virgil smiled.

“Well, having three younger brothers will do that to you,” he joked.

“Okay, okay fine, I’ll take that,” Virgil laughed, “but seriously, they let a fourteen-year-old in space. That’s crazy.”

“I will admit, fourteen is a bit young for space, but do you honestly think Scott, any Scott, especially one that has lost his dad, would let Al into space if he didn’t think he could handle it? Do you think I would?”

* * *

**Al pov, late into the night.**

He leaned on his windowsill, looking up at the night sky.

_Why was he looking at the sky instead of sleeping? Well, because he couldn’t sleep, or make that stay asleep. Nightmares plagued him of what was going on at home._

_What if something happened on a mission? What if, when he got home, one of his brothers was-NO Alan, you are not going there!_  He thought shaking his head.

_But in the stillness of the night, it was hard not to think about the what-ifs. He doesn’t even know if he can get home, but he’s got to have faith; that’s what Virgil always says._

_Oh, how he missed them; it felt like having a part of his soul missing. It was agony. He didn’t know why he didn’t want the other versions of his brothers and dad (plus his counterpart) to know how he was feeling._

_Maybe it was because he didn’t know them, not really._

He felt a silent tear run down his cheek, which he quickly wiped away. He turned away from the window, looking at the clock on the wall. 3:00 am.

_I’ve been up for an hour now; it hasn’t seemed like it_ , he thought.

_Maybe if I lay down and pretend that they’re here, I’ll get some sleep,_ he thought as he laid down on the bed, closed his eyes, and imagined that his brothers were there, watching over him _, keeping me safe like they always do._

“I love you guys,” he whispered as he drifted off to sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, got chapter 19 done! almost to chapter 20, I can’t believe this fic is nearly 20 chapters long. I wouldn’t have been able to get this far if it wasn’t for you guys so thank you :) and I hope you enjoy, and please comment, I love hearing what you think.

**The next day, Jeff’s office.** **Jeff’s POV.**

Scott had just left his office.  _The news that Scott had just informed him of was shocking; Al pilots Thunderbird Three._

_For once, he didn’t know what to do. He felt responsible for Al, but he knew that even though he didn’t like (heck, he hated it) that Al was going into space, he had no control over what happened in Al’s world. But if he gets the chance, he’s going to talk with Al’s Scott, that was for sure._

“Mr Tracy?” Brains asked, standing at the door to his office.

“Yes, Brains?”

“I think I figured o-out h-how to find al’s w-w-world,” Brains stuttered.

* * *

**Virgil’s pov.**

Dad had called him, telling him that Brains needed some blood samples from Al and Alan. He didn’t explain why Brains needed blood samples, only that it would help find Al’s world.

“Why does Brains need a sample of my blood? It’s his world they’re trying to find.” Alan said, pointing at Al as they walked down to the infirmary.

_Will you please stop complaining?_  He thought, on the edge of his rope.  _I know you don’t like needles or anything involving needles, but you don’t need to be such a jerk about it._

“Hey, I’m sure Brains has got a good reason for needing both of our blood,” Al said, actually sounding a little annoyed.

“Okay, we’re here.” He said, holding the door to the infirmary, _stopping Alan from saying something he’ll regret._  “So who wants to go first?”

Al looked at Alan wide-eyed and said, “Age before beauty?”

Laugher erupted from him, _ohh, I love this kid! Karma is a bitch, isn’t it Alan?_

Alan’s stunned expression just caused him to laugh harder.

“Oh, shut up Virgil, Just take the bloody blood sample already, ” Alan said, sitting down and rolling up his left sleeve. 

* * *

“So, you a medic?” Al asked Virgil as he was taking his blood sample.

“You’re just realising that now?” he asked, smiling at Al.

_Al was handling this a lot better than he thought he would; but in truth, Al was dealing with the whole situation they were in lot better than he originally thought._

“Okay, stupid question.” Al chuckled nervously. “Sorry… I just ramble whenever I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be, it’ll be over soon.” He said reassuringly, smiling at Al. “So I’m guessing with being Thunderbird Three pilot, you like space?” he asked, trying to get Al’s mind off of what he was doing.

Al’s eyes lit up, “Yeah! I love it, it’s just so cool!”

“Hmm, what’s your favourite thing about it?” he asked.

“Favourite thing? Well, that’s hard.” Al laughed. “But if I have to choose, it’d be finding something new. Because space is so big, you’re never done finding something new.”

“You really love space, don’t you?” he said, smiling.

“Yeah, I do.” Al smiled. “I know it can be incredibly dangerous, I’ve been in enough situations to know that, but I can’t help but love it.”

_It makes him feel better knowing Al is aware that space is dangerous. It helps him understand why Scott’s counterpart made the choice to have Al pilot Three._

_And what John said last night about how Scott wouldn’t let Al pilot Three if he didn’t think Al wasn’t ready. This kid was mature beyond his years._

“Okay, I’m done,” he announced.

“Wait, you are?” Al asked, looking down at his arm. “ I didn’t even feel it.”

“Well, I am a professional,” he said, grinning.


	20. Chapter 20

**TAG verse Gordon’s pov.**

_Allie, the house feels so lifeless without you,_  he thought, looking a thunderbird three.

_Where are you? I need my partner in crime, my twin, as the guys always jokingly call us. But it’s true, I don’t feel whole without you by my side.  
  
I tried to joke like I normally do but they’re just….they’re not the same. You’re not here to laugh at my jokes or tell me they’re bad. What’s the point of making jokes when it hurts so much to not hear you, by my side, laughing at or with me? What’s the point?  
  
I really need you, buddy,_ he thought sitting down on rock floor of the hanger in front of three. _She looked so…lifeless, just sitting there….her pilot who-knows-where…history was repeating itself. Her first pilot was gone and now her second pilot was missing too._

“Gordon?”  
  
He quickly wiped his eyes before looking at who was talking to him.  
  
Virgil was standing in front of him, a concerned look on his face.   
  
“Hey, Virgil, what’re you doing down here?” He asked, trying not to let on how he was feeling, but  _he should know by now that that was impossible with older brothers like his._  
  
“The better question is, what are you doing down here?” Virgil asked, sitting next to him. “Is everything okay?”  
  
 _Is everything okay? Is everything okay?!_  
  
“Is everything okay? No! Allie is missing, nothing is okay!” He exclaimed. “How can you just ask that-”  
  
He felt Virgil pull him into a hug, and he couldn’t stop the sob that broke through his defenses, nor the ones that followed.  
  
“I’m sorry, I should have thought before I asked that,” Virgil whispered, his arms still wrapped tightly around him, “but we’ll find him, Gordy, we’ll find him”  
  
“But how? We know nothing…it’s like Dad all over again.” he asked, pulling away to look Virgil in the eye.  
  
“I like the idea that Alan is somewhere safe, but that’s all it is. An idea. For all we know, he could be-” He cut himself off because  _that hurt too much to think about._  
  
“He not, okay Gordo? We just….” Virgil let off a sigh. “We need to trust Brains. If he thinks there’s a chance that Allie is out there…we….we just need to have a little faith that he’s alright.”  
  
 _He honestly didn’t know who Virgil was trying to reassure; him or himself._

* * *

**Movieverse. Alan pov.**

_Al was weird,_  he thought, _he couldn’t understand him. Al was him…..but younger and from a different world. He didn’t know why Al was so much more…open. He could never be that open, and maybe that wasn’t good, but it was just how he was._

_He’d rather depend on himself than anybody else; the only exceptions to that were Tintin and Fermat, his two best friends. His relationship with his family had always been rocky, especially since they moved to the island and started the Thunderbirds while he had to go to school, on the other side of the globe no less._

_At least he had Fermat….but it’s still hurt him that they had left him behind so easily. Even now that he was in training, there was still that voice in his head saying, ‘they don’t need you, they were doing just fine without you. If they really need you, they wouldn’t send you to that school.’_

_He tried his hardest to ignore it, but sometimes it gets the better of him and he ends up snapping at people. That got him into trouble a lot of the time with his dad or Scott._

_Like this morning… he was in a bad mood and Al’s constant chattering was getting on his nerves. He doesn’t even remember what Al was going on about, but long story short, he ended up snapping at Al to shut up.  Yeah…thinking about it now…it wasn’t a nice thing to do. He deserved the scolding he got from Dad, but at the time, he wasn’t in the mood to take it. So he stormed off, to where he was now._

The northern beach of the island, it was the furthest from the house and the one with the most rocks to sit on.  _He lost track of how long he been down here, an hour or two maybe?_


	21. Chapter 21

**John pov.**

_Somehow Gordon convinced them (them being himself, the rest of his brothers, Al, Dad, Fermat, and Tintin) to do a movie night. It wasn’t a bad idea._

_It was a way for them to relax for a bit, plus it was a chance to get to know Al as well as spend some time with his brothers._

_It was oddly amusing to see how curious Al was with the whole thing. He acted as if he had never seen a DVD before and, well, for all he knows maybe Al hadn’t seen a DVD before, being from 2060 and all._

“Wait, so you have to put that disc in there, which is physically connected to the TV and it plays? And the only way, if you want to watch something new, is to go out and physically buy that disc for the thing you want to watch?” Al said, looking at the TV with a mix of disbelief and wonder.  

“Um, yes?” Scott said, sounding a little unsure.

“Wow, that’s so complicated. I can see why my world stopped doing that.” Al said, head tilted to the side.

“Uh, are we going to watch that movie or what?” Alan asked, sitting on the closest couch closest to the door with his arms crossed, looking like he’d rather be anywhere but there.

“What? You in a hurry to get somewhere, Sprout?” Gordon teased from where he was seated on one of the other couches, with blankets around him. Virgil was sitting on the same couch as Gordon with Al sitting on the floor in front of them.  

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want to keep you waiting,” Virgil said, grinning.

“What? No-”

“Boys, that’s enough,” Dad said sternly. “Scott put the movie in please.”

_He couldn’t help but notice how Al was watching that interaction. Al looked like he couldn’t understand what was going on, looking between Gordon, Virgil, and Alan, like something was off._

* * *

A thud drew his attention away from the movie. The thud was actually Al who had fallen asleep on the floor. _Wow, the kid sure looked so much younger when he was asleep,_ he thought to himself.

“Wow, he fell asleep fast,” he heard Scott mutter softly to himself.

_He had to agree; the kid sure did fall asleep fast,_  he thought, frowning slightly.  _The kid did look tired, like he was having trouble sleeping - Nah, I’m probably overthinking this_ , he thought as he turned back to the movie.

* * *

_Al wasn’t the only one asleep by the end of the movie. Fermat was asleep, leaning against Alan, who he himself looked like he was seconds away from falling asleep._

_Tintin was nowhere to be seen, having left mid-movie because her parents want her to go to bed. Both Gordon and Virgil were yawning._

_Scott didn’t look that tired to him, but he was sure Scott was just as tired as the rest of them. As for him? Well, he uses to the long hours; plus, he had always been a night owl._

Dad stood up, getting their attention. “Okay, boys. Bed.”

As his brothers and Fermat (who alan had woken up) started to leave the room, he notices that Al was still asleep.

“Hey, Al. Wake up.” He said, shaking Al’s shoulder gently.

Al groaned as he rolled over, muttering something along the lines of ‘sleep.’

He chuckled. “Come on, kid. You don’t want to sleep on the floor, do you?”

“It’s not like it’s new,” Al yawned nonchalantly as he sat up, still half asleep.

He raised an eyebrow at that but decided to leave it be. At least for now.

* * *

**Jeff pov, the next day, early morning.**

“Mr. Tracy?” Brains asked, knocking on the office door. “The m-machine t-t-to get al h-home i-i-is ready.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Scott pov.**

Al was nearly jumping up and down in excitement, honesty acting like a child on Christmas.

_This kid really can’t stay still for long, can he?_  He thought amused, watching Al who was chattering away with John.

“Wow, I think this is the most excited we have seen him get,” he said to Virgil as they waited for brains to finish making some last-second adjustments.

“Of course he is. He’s going home, anyone would be excited,“ Virgil said, smiling as he double checked the first aid kit that he insisted they have just in case.

* * *

"Okay, starting the machine” Brains said, pressing a couple of buttons.

He saw All tense up next to him;  _he doesn’t blame him. This whole thing made him nervous; there were so many things that could go wrong._

He took a step back as a spiral of colourful flames appeared… or that’s what it looked the most like. In truth, it looked like nothing he had ever seen before.

He heard someone gasp.

It was growing in size, getting bigger and bigger.

_He could see something….something like a cave but it wasn’t, it looked man-made and-wait what?_

_Was that Thunderbird one?! It looked different, but he’d recognise her anywhere, no matter what._

“That’s the main hanger!” Al exclaimed, grinning. “And that’s Three! Oh, how I missed that red!” Al said, laughing in joy. “And that’s-”

Al froze.

”-Virgil…!“  Al gasped.

_What?_  he thought confused, turning to look at Al but Al was already running towards the portal "Virgil!”

His eyes widen as he suddenly spotted a young man on the other side of the portal, suddenly realising what was going on.

He heard a thud as Al ran into the portal, falling down with a cry of pain.

_What just happened!?_  he thought with wide eyes, looking over at the others. They seemed just as surprised.

Virgil ran over to Al, and he himself followed a second later. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brains ran over to the machine, Dad and John following him.

“Al, are you okay!?” Virgil asked Al, who had gotten up from the floor and was now staring at the portal, hitting it like he was trying to break it.

“It’s..it’s solid,“ Al said, wide-eyed, eyes not leaving the portal "It..it…can’t be solid…Virgil..”

“Yeah?-”

“I don’t think he means you, Virg,” he said, looking at a young man on the other side of the portal, who was yelling something, but he couldn’t hear a word he was saying.

“Oh,” Virgil said with wide eyes.

“I can’t hear you…” Al said, pushing against the portal like he was trying to reach his brother. “Virgie…”

_Oh, he couldn’t watch this_ , he thought turning his head away.  _The kid sounds like he was on the verge of tears; he needs to do something-_

“Fire!”

_What!?_  he thought, turning around to find the machine on fire, and not a tinny one at that.  

* * *

**Jeff pov**

_They finally got the fire out, but it completely destroyed the machine. He just counts himself lucky that it didn’t spread to anything else._

It was silent as everyone caught their breath and tried to process what just happened.

A sob breaks the silence.

His eyes widen as he turns to look at Al, who was facing away from them, but _it was obvious the kid was crying by how his shoulders were shaking._

_Plus they could hear him loud and clear._

“Son..” he said, touching Al’s shoulder. Al jumped like the touch had hurt him, quickly backing away from him.

Al was looking around at them with wide, panicky eyes, tears falling from them at an alarming rate.

“Al…” Scott said taking a step forward.

Al bolted, running away from them.

“Al! Wait-“ Alan grabbed Scott’s arm, stopping him from following Al. "What the heck, Alan!”

“I think I know myself well enough to know that he wants to be left alone,” Alan said.

Scott was about to say something, but he cut him off before an argument could start.

“Boys, enough.” He said firmly. “Alan is right, Al needs some time alone. We need to give him that.”


	23. Chapter 23

**John’s pov.**

_How could it go so wrong so fast?_  He thought looking out the window; the sun was setting and the stars were coming out.

”Has anyone found him yet?” Dad asked over the comms.

_Al had been missing nearly all day now, having missed lunch and now dinner._

“No, Father,” he said.

The others said similar things.

“Honestly, where is this kid?” Gordon asked, sounding honestly bewildered. “He doesn’t even know the island like we do. How the fuck-”

“Gordon, language!” Dad scowled.

“-sorry, but honestly! How haven’t we found him yet?” Gordon said.

“I don’t know, but we will find him,” Dad said, sighing.

”Alan…he’s your counterpart…“ Scott started, his tone thoughtful "Where would you go?”

The comm was quiet for a moment.  _By answering that question, Alan would also be giving away where he would go if he wanted to be alone._

"Have you checked the beach?” Alan answered after a moment, his voice sounding tense.

”I just finished looking all around the beach. He’s not there,” Gordon said.

"Did you check the furthest beach from the house?” Alan asked.

_The furthest beach from the house? I’ll keep that in mind for future need._

“Um…no,” Gordon said. “he wouldn’t go that far…would he?”

“Better safe than sorry.” Dad said. “Gordon, go check it out while the rest of us continue looking around the house.“

"Gordon, wait! I’ll come with you,” Virgil said.

* * *

“No, he’s not down here.“ Virgil said, sounding disheartened. “You don’t think he went into the jungle, do you?”

_That seemed likely with how they had looked everywhere else._

”Let’s hope not,” Dad sighed.

He sighed, looking out at his stars that had come out, lighting up the night. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted something.  _What?! How did he get up there?!_

”Um, guys? I think I found him,” he said looking out the window.

_How did he get up there?! And how did they not see him!?_

"What?! Where is he?!”  "Where are you?!“   "You found him?!”

“Boys!” Dad said, silencing the others. “John, where is he?”

”Um… you won’t believe this, but…the roof.” He said looking up, trying to figure out how to get up there.

_Honestly, no wonder they couldn’t find him. They would never have expected him to be on the roof._

”What!?” Virgil asked.

”What? How did he get up there?!” Gordon asked.

”Wait, I think I can see him from here!” Scott said, who was standing near the furthest pool from the house.

“The roof?!” Alan asked. “Isn’t that somewhere Scott would go?!”

_Yeah, getting up high is something Scott would do,_  he thought.

“Nonetheless, we need to get up there,” Dad said, “he missed both lunch and dinner.”

“Well…we all sort of missed dinner,” Gordon muttered.

“I’m going to try to see if I can get up there,” he said into his comm, climbing out the window.

“Okay son, be careful,” Dad said.

“Yeah, John be careful. That’s a steep fall if you slipped,” Scott said.

“Don’t worry, I will. Comms off,” he said, turning his comm off.

_Wow, how did the kid get up here?_  he thought as he finally got up on to the same roof Al was on.

The kid was curled up in the corner of the roof. Al lifted his head as he approached; his eyes were bloodshot.

“Hey Al, you don’t mind if I sit with you, do you?” He asked gently, sitting down next to the kid.

“No…I..don’t mind.” Al said softly, head sitting on his knees. “Were you looking for me?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “you missed lunch, so when you didn’t show for dinner, we started to look for you.”

“Oh,” Al said, looking off into the distance, “I didn’t realise I missed-i…sorry…that… I worried you guys.”

_The kid’s apologising?_  he thought,  _but he was, in truth, more worried about how dead Al’s voice sounded. It was a stark contrast compared happy chip that they had gotten used to._

“Al, don’t apologise. I understand, it’s okay,” he said, laying his hand on Al’s shoulder.

Al startled slightly at his touch, so he removed his hand, choosing instead to look up at the sky.

_The stars were so bright tonight._

” I….I can almost trick myself into…. thinking that….. I’m back home; they’re so similar,” Al whispered.

He looked at Al, but Al was looking at the stars. There was a longing in his eyes.

He felt his heart break,  _the idea that every time Al looked up at the stars, that the kid so obviously loved, was a reminder of what he didn’t  have…his home…his brothers._

“Tell me about your brothers,” he asked, surprising himself at his boldness.

_Wait. Did I just say that?!_

“My… brothers?” Al asked, looking at him with wide eyes.

He nodded,  _might as well just go with it now._

”Well…“  Al looked at the ocean "My…my Gordon, he’s.. don’t ask him for fashion advice,” Al exhaled a choked laugh.

“He’s got a terrible fashion sense. The stuff he thinks is fashionable…” Al shook his head, a fond look on his face.

“He’s the closest thing I… I have to a best friend…”

* * *

**Gordon’s pov.**

Unbeknownst to John, he hadn’t turned his comm off, only muted the sound on his end. They all could hear what Al and John were saying.

_When he first heard Al’s voice, he couldn’t believe his ears; the kid sounded so lifeless._

Virgil seemed just as distressed as him at hearing Al; they kept their comms on as they made their way back to the house.

"Tell me about your brothers,” John said.

_What?_  he thought, stopping, _what is Johnny doing?_

”My… brothers?” Al asked, he could hear the shake in Al’s voice.

He looked at Virgil who had also stopped.

John must have nodded or something because the next thing they heard was Al talking.

“Come on, let keep walking,” Virgil said softly.

He nodded.

He listened as he walked,  _his counterpart had a bad fashion sense, huh?_  He thought. _It was so obvious how much Al loved his brothers because now, Al’s voice didn’t sound dead, no, now Al’s voice was overflowing with emotions_.

”He…he’s the closest thing I…I have to a best friend… ”

_Best Friend?_ He thought stopping in his tracks.  _My counterpart is Al’s best friend?_

“His jokes are…” Al scoffed, “as bad as his fashion sense, but…but I still laugh,” Al’s voice trembled.

_Oh Al,_  he thought,  _I wish I could be your Gordon and cheer you up with one of those jokes but… I’m not your Gordon, I can’t do that, and I’m sorry._

* * *

**Virgil’s pov.**

_It was so hard to hear Al talk about his brothers; Al sounded so…lost._

“His jokes are…” Al scoffed, “as bad as his fashion sense, but…but I still laugh,” Al’s voice trembled.

He looked over a Gordon, who looked so overwhelmed.

“Gords,” he said, taking a hold of Gordon’s shoulders.

“Why is the world doing this?” Gordon asked. “Al should be home with his brothers…with his version of me, I can’t…”

“Gordon, I don’t know why this is happening but…we’ll get through this…we’re family and Al is a part of that,” he said.

_Not just because Al is Alan’s counterpart, but because they had all grown to care for Al, even Alan, he just may not have realised it yet._

Gordon nodded, “Yeah..yeah, you’re right. Come on we better get back to the house,” Gordon said, starting to walk.

He nodded.

“My..my V-Virgil…he’s-” Al voice cracked, “ he’s… a big softy, honestly… though you wouldn’t know that by just looking at him.”

_He could hear the fondness in Al’s voice, the love that kid had for his brothers so clear._

_He remembered seeing his counterpart; he was younger then he was expecting, but wow that guy was fit! He could see what Al meant._

“He loves his plaid shirts…almost as much as Scott likes stealing them,” Al said, making a sound in between a sob and a laugh.

_Okay…that’s interesting…_

“He’s…he’s always there for a hug…” Al’s voice shook. "His…his hugs…are…really..really good,” Al choked on a sob.

He sighed,  _my hugs may not be anything like his Virgil’s, but I’m giving that kid a hug. He needs it!_

* * *

**John’s pov.**

_Okay, when he asked that question, he wasn’t expecting to feel so heartbroken hearing Al talk about his brothers._

_It was so obvious how much the kid missed them, how much Al just wanted to be home…it hurt to watch._

Al had tears running down his face, shaking slightly.  _He didn’t know if it was from the cold or trying to not breakdown sobbing…probably both._

“But…but any hug from my brothers I would say is good really so…” Al sniffed. “Though my…my John is a bit awkward when it….when it comes to physical contact…”

_Huh? Well… okay?_  he thought with a raised eyebrow.

“My Scott…. would say he’s…he’s our socially awkward noodle,” Al made a noise like a choked laugh.

_Socially awkward noodle?_

“It’s true, put that guy in a crowded room and he will shut down….that’s… that’s probably why it’s so hard to get the guy down from Thunderbird Five….plus John and gravity do not get along,” Al said fondly up at the stars.

_Hmm, sound likes his counterpart’s not a people person- but wait? Hard to get down from Five? Sure I like Five but if given the chance, I would come home. I hate being disconnected from my family, plus it gets lonely on Five._

“He…he’s the person that taught me all….all I know about space…one of the many reasons I love it so much, really..” Al sniffed.

_That was a high honour to give somebody,_  he thought.  _When they lived on the farm, he used to take his Alan out star glazing…sadly he hasn’t been able to do that as often as he likes since moving to the island and then the Thunderbirds happened._

* * *

**Scott pov.**

When he realised that John forgot to turn off his comm and Al had started talking…. _well at first he was horrified at how hopeless Al’s voice sounded. Then John asked about Al’s brothers and the kid’s voice changed, from lifeless to filled with so many emotions._

He listened, taking everything Al said in.

He smiled at Al’s comment about his Gordon’s fashion sense, _that was funny, but how bad could Al’s Gordon fashion sense be? Really, it couldn’t be that bad._

Then Al said that Gordon is his best friend, making him pause. _It sort of made sense, Al was homeschooled so he probably didn’t have a lot of friends….so at least he had Gordon as a friend._

_But the only thing that confused him was, how did that happen? Sure, his Alan and Gordon were close when they were young, but with an age gap of five years, you could only get so close._

“His jokes are…” Al scoffed, “as bad as his fashion sense, but…but I still laugh” Al’s voice trembled.

His heart ached for Al.  _How he talked about his brothers, you could tell he loved them and how much he wanted to be with them._

Then Al was talking about Virgil. He raised an eyebrow at the stealing shirts thing…  _that’s interesting…why did his counterpart want Virgil’s shirts?_

His heart broke when Al started talking about Virgil’s hugs.. _.it was so obvious where the kid wanted to be right now. In one of his brothers’ arms._

The John comment made him chuckle,  _socially awkward noodle? That’s a new one._  But the comment about how hard it was to get Al’s John down from Five made him frown.

_Why was it so hard to get Al’s John down? Normally John welcomes coming home with open arms._

He looked out the window, just being able to see Al and John on the roof. Al had his knees tucked under his chin, tears running down his cheeks.

_The kid looked so different from the happy kid he had gotten to know, and it hurt._

Dad joined him, standing next to him in silence.

“My..my scott..” Hearing his name made him stand up straighter,  _he had to admit he was curious about his counterpart, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to hear what Al had to say._

“He’s…he’s…probably ..the closet thing..” Al choked on a sob, “ that…that I.. I got to a…to a parent.”

His eyes widen… _did someone just drop ice water over him? Because parent!? Al thinks of my counterpart as….a sort of parent!?_

“He…he basically r-raised me….because well..my-my dad wasn’t around a lot growing up…and..” Al hiccuped.

Dad tensed next to him, an unreadable expression on his face.

_His counterpart basically raised Al… No wonder the kid was so different from their Alan… but Dad…Why wasn’t Al’s dad around? How old was Al when…when Mum died?_

“He…always looks….l-looks out for us..me, he always… looks out for m-me..” Al sobbed, “He..tries s-so hard for us…sometimes t-too much…”

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath… _because…oh this hurt, hearing about his counterpart like this….everything Al was saying, he could understand perfectly._

“And…and…and….I..I just want home!” Al broke down in sobs, his cries filling the comms.  "I just want to go home!“


	24. Chapter 24

**Alan pov.**

_When he was first told that his conuterpart - his counterpart! - was staying with them until they could get him home, he honestly thought this was a imposter; but as Scott had said, they couldn’t take the kid to the island if they weren’t 100% sure that he was who he says he was._

_And, he admits as he spent time with the kid, it became so obvious that there was no way that Al was an imposter because the kid was just too innocent._

_But the fact that Al was him still left a bad taste in his mouth. The kid was so different from him. How could Al be his counterpart if they were so different? He just couldn’t understand, and maybe he let his jealousy cloud his judgement….okay yes, he let his jealousy cloud his judgement._

_He was so focused on what Al had that he didn’t have that he didn’t even give Al a chance._

He retreated to his bedroom when Al started talking about his brothers.

_Gordon was Al’s best friend? But what about Fermat? Or Tintin?! How does that happen? Sure, he and Gordon were close when they were young, but there was always an age gap._

_Actually, Al never menioned his versions of Tintin or Fermat…that’s weird…_

_He could hear how much Al loved his brothers. He could relate. He may not be as open as Al, but he loved his brothers so much it hurt._

_That’s why he wanted to be homeschooled. He wanted to be with his brothers and that’s what Al wanted too, wasn’t it?_

_And he had been a jerk to the kid because he was jealous!_  He thought facepalming, ashamed at himself.

“My..my Scott.” Al said, voice trembling. “He’s…he’s…probably ..the closest thing…” Al choked on a sob, “ that…that I.. I got to a…to a parent.”

“WHAT!?” he yelled in shock.  _What did Al just say?! Scott?! Parent?!  Sure, Scott took on a bit of a parenting role with him, but not to the point that he would say that Scott was like a parent to him. That was just…too far. Mum and Dad were his parents, not his brothers. Sure, he didn’t have much time with Mum, seeing she died when he was four, but still._

“He…he basically r-raised me….because well..my-my dad wasn’t around a lot growing up…and..” Al hiccuped.

_Dad wasn’t around a lot…_. He repeated in his head, in shock.  _That sounded about right,_ he thought bitterly. _Sure, Dad had time for his brothers, but not him. No, he was a trouble maker…huh! Gordon makes more trouble then me! And does he get in trouble for it? Nope!_

_But something wasn’t right,_ he thought, _the only time that Dad left the parenting to Scott was a year after Mum died. But the way Al was talking, it sounded like it was his whole childhood, which couldn’t be possible…could it?_

* * *

**TAG verse Scott pov.**

The alarms were screaming in his ears as he ran down to the hanger.

“Virgil! Virgil! What’s going on?!” He shouted, running into the hanger.  

“Why did you set off the a- what the fu-frank is that?!” He said, stopping to a standstill, spotting a….a portal!?

_And before you say anything about his swearing skills, he has little brothers, it’s a force of habit!_

“Scott! Alan is in there!” Virgil yelled to him, banging on the thing.

“What!?” He ran to Virgil’s side, but it was too late. The portal was gone, but not before he caught a glimpse of Alan.

“Alan!” he cried out, _feeling like his heart was being torn into pieces._

“Guys, what’s going on?!” Gordon asked running up to them, only in his swim trunks. John was right behind Gordon, though John was wearing normal clothes, unlike Gordon.

“Brains, I need you down here right now!” he yelled into his comm.

_Now that he knew for sure that his baby brother was out there, there was nothing, **nothing!**  in this world or out of it that was going to stop him from finding his baby brother._

“Guys? Hello, what’s going on?!” Gordon asked again, waving his arms.

“Scott? Virgil?” John asked, taking a step forward.

Kayo was suddenly on his comm. “Scott, what’s going on? Why did I just get alert from the island? Do I need to come back?”

“No Kayo, stay on your mission,” he said, “everything’s under control”

Kayo frowned like she didn’t believe him. “FAB, but you are telling me what happened when I get back.”

“Don’t worry, I will” he said before turning off his comm.  

“Guys?” Gordon asked.

“Alan…he was right here…” Virgil muttered, eyes not leaving the spot the portal once was.

He eyebrows creased in concern,  _Virgil looked like he was going in to shock._

“Virgil, sit down,” he said, taking Virgil’s arm, ”you’re going into shock”

“What? No I’m not, Scott, I’m fine.” Virgil said waving him away, taking a deep breath. “But we need to do something. Alan…he’s..”

“I know, I know Virg,” he said, still keeping a hold of Virgil’s arm.

“Guys! What is going on?!” Gordon yelled. “And what is this about Alan? Will someone please tell me what’s going on!?”

There was a moment of silence as they all stared at Gordon, completely stunned.

_Alan’s absence was really leaving its mark on Gordon,_ he thought frowning.  _But it wasn’t just Gordon that was feeling Alan’s absence, his world felt so dark and cold without Alan._

“Scott, I’m h-here, what’s g-going on?” Brains said, puffing like he just ran a mile.

“Boys! What is going on down here?!” Grandma asked with her hands on her hips.

Virgil sighed, moving over to a monitor.

“Just watch.” Virgil said, bring up the footage of the hanger, from a couple of minutes ago.

They watch as the Virgil on the screen jumped in surprise when the portal appeared.

Everybody that hadn’t seen the portal in person gasped.

Virgil zoomed in on the portal, showing Alan.

“Alan,” Grandma gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

His eyes narrow, _who were those people with Alan?_

Then the video ended with him running in, and the portal disappearing.

There was a eerie silence as they process what they just saw.

“Brains, can you find Alan?” he asked.  _Please say yes, please say yes…_

“W-w-well….I..I may…but-but I’ll need time..” brains stuttered. “Plus, the p-portal energy signature….w-which Thunderbird Five hopefully c-caught..”

“EOS, I need you to find something for me,” John said into his comm.

_Hold in there Allie, we coming for you…_              


End file.
